Advice on history sequence

[mom31257]

Would anyone care to share their thoughts on the situation I will have deciding on the sequence to follow with my ds starting next year? Here is what he has done so far:

 

K-Ancients with MOH 1

1st-World history, just the major events with Usborne and library books

2nd-American history, put together by me

 

He will have a sister going into 9th. Right now I am very strongly leaning toward her doing MFW for high school. She is doing SL Core 100 this year, which I would like to save and use with him in 7th and/or 8th.

 

What would be a good sequence for him? Should I do Ancients again in 3rd and do a four year cycle? If so, what about 7th and 8th and the SL Core? There are books that dd read in ancient history (Golden Goblet, Bronze Bow, etc.) that I would love to have him read, but I'm not sure would work for him in 3rd.

 

I do think I would like to include geography in there somewhere, but not sure what grade level would be the best time for that.

 

Thanks for any advice!

[mom31257]

Anyone?

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

I might break up American into 2 years and do it for 2nd and 3rd grades. You could follow up with 4th grade doing Geography and then in 5th going back to Ancients with a 4 year cycle.

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

That doesn't really answer about using Sonlight Core 100, you will have to do something different if you are set on that for 7th/8th.

[mom31257]

That doesn't really answer about using Sonlight Core 100, you will have to do something different if you are set on that for 7th/8th.

 

Thanks for the thoughts about splitting up American. It's a really good idea; however, I've committed to do it in one year with my best friend. I'm actually doing the research and planning for the both of us. I've also got 8 other people from this board that I'm sending the information to as well. I hate to change mid-year (we started at the beginning of August).

 

I really don't "have" to do the SL Core. I've just been thinking I would love to save and use the more expensive material that I'm investing in for my dd. It just seems to make it less of a sacrifice to buy it.

 

Starting the cycle in 5th made me start thinking that I might could split up the core and do it over 2 years adding in world history with it.

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

Thanks for the thoughts about splitting up American. It's a really good idea; however, I've committed to do it in one year with my best friend. I'm actually doing the research and planning for the both of us. I've also got 8 other people from this board that I'm sending the information to as well. I hate to change mid-year (we started at the beginning of August).

 

I really don't "have" to do the SL Core. I've just been thinking I would love to save and use the more expensive material that I'm investing in for my dd. It just seems to make it less of a sacrifice to buy it.

 

Starting the cycle in 5th made me start thinking that I might could split up the core and do it over 2 years adding in world history with it.

 

 

Ok, what about doing American for 2nd, Geography for 3rd and 4th (there are a lot of good resources out there,) 5th Ancients, 6th Middle Ages and then 7th Core 100.

[Carol in Cal.]

Have you looked at MOH? I think it's WAY too hard for K.

 

I suggest: Bible and ancients for a year and a half, using SOTW and lots of activities, field trips, and library books.

 

Then skip to American history, using the easier Jean Fritz books, and emphasizing holiday observances, for a year to a year and a half, moving up to about 1910-1945 in timeframe.

 

Then back to world history, SOTW2, starting in third grade.

 

SOTW3 in fourth, maybe combined with Sonlight 3 and done for a year and a half. SOTW4 and Sonlight 4 through the end of sixth grade.

 

Then switch to either All American History, Sonlight 5 (which is third world cultures) followed by Sonlight 100 (American history emphasis at a higher level), or MOH for seventh and eighth.

 

Remember, most kids don't get much of any history until sixth grade. This way you'll give him a great overview of both American and world history before that, and a very solid middle school course of study as well.

[mom31257]

Have you looked at MOH? I think it's WAY too hard for K.

 

I suggest: Bible and ancients for a year and a half, using SOTW and lots of activities, field trips, and library books.

 

Then skip to American history, using the easier Jean Fritz books, and emphasizing holiday observances, for a year to a year and a half, moving up to about 1910-1945 in timeframe.

 

Then back to world history, SOTW2, starting in third grade.

 

SOTW3 in fourth, maybe combined with Sonlight 3 and done for a year and a half. SOTW4 and Sonlight 4 through the end of sixth grade.

 

Then switch to either All American History, Sonlight 5 (which is third world cultures) followed by Sonlight 100 (American history emphasis at a higher level), or MOH for seventh and eighth.

 

Remember, most kids don't get much of any history until sixth grade. This way you'll give him a great overview of both American and world history before that, and a very solid middle school course of study as well.

 

I'm sorry, I may not have made it clear. My ds is in 2nd right now, and those things for K-2nd are what we have already done. He actually enjoyed MOH in Kindergarten. I can't say that he remembers everything about ancient history, but the lessons were short enough for him to listen in on, and some of the projects were fun. He didn't do a timeline, mapwork, or quizzes. My best friend did MOH that year also, and her 3 year old listened in. We got together and had special days with movies, field trips, crafts, food, etc. It was a really fun year.

 

Since he's doing a whole year of American this year, what would you suggest starting in 3rd next year?

[mom31257]

Ok, what about doing American for 2nd, Geography for 3rd and 4th (there are a lot of good resources out there,) 5th Ancients, 6th Middle Ages and then 7th Core 100.

 

That might work. I might could focus on world geography for 3rd and US geography for 4th. I could even add in some traditional social studies topics such as economics, holidays, etc.

 

Part of me really wants to do Ancients again next year. Dd will be doing it with MFW for high school. We've also been doing some studies at church that have really got me interested in it, too.

 

Why are these decisions so difficult?:confused:

[mom31257]

Any other suggested sequences?

[Guest mrsjamiesouth]

Any other suggested sequences?

 

Alright its me again. :D I was just thinking about LBC, have you looked at their curriculum? http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/category/History_World.html

 

You would most likely want to tweak it, but you could follow their history cycle.

3rd- Ancient Greece and Rome

4th- Middle Ages

5th- Renaissance

6th- Modern, you could stretch Core 100 from Sonlight to last 6th and 7th grades

[mom31257]

Alright its me again. :D I was just thinking about LBC, have you looked at their curriculum? http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/category/History_World.html

 

You would most likely want to tweak it, but you could follow their history cycle.

3rd- Ancient Greece and Rome

4th- Middle Ages

5th- Renaissance

6th- Modern, you could stretch Core 100 from Sonlight to last 6th and 7th grades

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I will look it over.

[Guest TheBugsMom]

What about a year of geography using the Beautiful Feet Geography. It uses the Holling books and looks really nice. I have used BF before and their curriculum is easy to implement and not overwhelming.

[meet me in paris]

I don't know if this will work for you, but we're switching over to the 5-year history cycle (a la Veritas Press). You could do the same increments even if you're not using their stuff:

 

Ancients (Old Test)

Greece/Rome

Middle Ages

Explorers to 1815

1815 to present

 

How that might work for you is:

 

3rd Ancients (Old Test)

4th Greece/Rome (New Test)

5th Middle Ages

6th Explorers present

7th SL Core 100

 

I own Core 100, and it could definitely be used for 7th grade. I know they list it as a "high school" core, but the readers and the spine are all definitely middle grade books. Only the Bible portion of it seems high school-y to me (and we don't use that part anyway).

 

Then you could do another 5 year cycle for 8th - 12th.

 

My younger one is starting this cycle in 4th next year, and we are jumping in at Greece/Rome while my 8th grader does Ancients with TRISMS.

 

Just a thought!

[mom31257]

I don't know if this will work for you, but we're switching over to the 5-year history cycle (a la Veritas Press). You could do the same increments even if you're not using their stuff:

 

Ancients (Old Test)

Greece/Rome

Middle Ages

Explorers to 1815

1815 to present

 

How that might work for you is:

 

3rd Ancients (Old Test)

4th Greece/Rome (New Test)

5th Middle Ages

6th Explorers present

7th SL Core 100

 

I own Core 100, and it could definitely be used for 7th grade. I know they list it as a "high school" core, but the readers and the spine are all definitely middle grade books. Only the Bible portion of it seems high school-y to me (and we don't use that part anyway).

 

Then you could do another 5 year cycle for 8th - 12th.

 

My younger one is starting this cycle in 4th next year, and we are jumping in at Greece/Rome while my 8th grader does Ancients with TRISMS.

 

Just a thought!

 

Thanks those are good thoughts as well. I feel the same way about Core 100. Dd is using it right now for 8th. I'm surprised that SL lists it as high school level. It is more than my dh's students are doing considering he doesn't teach any Honors or AP classes, so compared to public school credits I guess it could.

[mom31257]

If you like MFW, I would start him 3rd with ECC and then do their 4 year history cycle, followed by repeating ECC in 8th grade with all of the higher level books and projects that you will skip in 3rd grade or doing core 100 if you prefer. This will set him up nicely for the 4 years of HS.

 

I've actually never used MFW, but I've been researching and think it will be a great high school program for my dd. I've not looked that closely at MFW elementary, though. I'll have to check it out. Thanks!