sbgrace Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 (edited) I"m getting overwhelmed and would love some advice. My kids seem to really need a hands on element but they aren't color or illustrate the story type kids and one is not a cut and paste type. What works better are play the games the Wampanoag did or make butter like the colonists type of activities. They like stories and books and have long attention spans and interest in all sorts of read alouds. Still, I feel we need the hands on components to solidify the concepts and they've come to expect and enjoy those things as well. Heart of Dakota style fits well but the majority of the history spines just aren't going to work for me for various reasons unfortunately. I struck off on my own to make a history curriculum that had a "presentation of information and finish with an activity" style and it's going well. I'm planned through Lewis and Clark and then I've planned Westward expansion. I've got a few blanks to fill in between those two which should be relatively easy. I'm happy with the plans but two things are happening: 1. I'm not sure what is important to cover in a US history curriculum and what I should attempt to cover especially past the Civil War. We're spending two years (maybe into three if it takes us that long) on US history and then going to ancients. I don't know if I should try to cover to present day with select topics (which ones..) or just stop a specific point. 2. I'm getting overwhelmed with the planning. I enjoy it but the idea of trying now to cover from this point forward is overwhelming me. I feel I just finished the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War and now I've got War of 1812 and the Civil War staring me in the face and there are a slew of wars after that. Some of the topics I'm a little intimidated to cover with what will be 2nd grade kids as well like the Holocaust. I'm just not sure I'm up for this but I don't know of any alternatives. My questions: 1. If you were designing an elementary US history course for younger students what topics would be covered post Civil War? 2. Is there a reasonably priced curriculum that might fit us for 2nd grade US history/post civil war or a master text type book I could use? I have American Pioneers and Patriots and just that book as a spine saved me hours and hours of planning for westward expansion particularly. 3. Maybe I should do Heart of Dakota and try to come up with alternative spines. That probably won't work though. Edited October 11, 2010 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mrsjamiesouth Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 What exactly won't work about HOD spines? This will help in deciding which direction to take you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 I can only really help with the first question.... Although, my kids really like Evan Moor's History Pockets (but there is quite a bit color, cut, paste stuff). As for post Civli-War, here is what I think is important, but many will disagree :): Reconstruction, Industrial Revolution, Women's Rights (ie voting, etc), WWI, Great Depression, WWII, Korea, Cold War, Civil Rights,Space Race (sputnik, apollo, etc) Vietnam, More Cole War, Iraq There is obviuosly a lot left out here - but around those time periods you can always add human interest type info,,, add info on the Polio vaccine, or penicillin, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thowell Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 Truthquest? It is Christian based not sure if that's what you want but you can also just use the booklist. It is really inexpensive and will give you great resources for all major events and people in history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 11, 2010 Author Share Posted October 11, 2010 (edited) Thank you all! I'll check out TruthQuest right now thowell. That list of topics will really help me a lot sailormom. I think I need that type of direction most of all. What exactly won't work about HOD spines? This will help in deciding which direction to take you.You know, I feel a little hesitant to give detail because I appreciate Carrie and her work and love so many aspects of HOD. I also know it's a good fit for many families and maybe it's me/I'm over-sensitive or something. But I would appreciate your thoughts so I'll try. Most of my issues have to do with either topics selected in the texts and how those selections influence the picture painted of a certain topic or actual presentation of, for example, Native Americans. I think in most cases my issues are a natural result of the time period in which the book was written. In some cases though I had issues in almost all the texts I viewed including many of the newer books. I get why she uses the books she does and why people appreciate it. I just think sometimes the perspective of time and history helps present topics in a more even handed way perhaps and that's missing with those older books particularly for me. I had hoped to pick up with her world history in 3rd grade but I looked at reviews on amazon of one of the "old book" spines (Hillyer) and I'm afraid it's not going to work for me either. Do you have thoughts on how I might be able to use them anyway or use other books with her guide or thoughts on the books that I'm missing? I really like her style, the ease of use, and love her literature. I wish the books could fit me. Edited October 12, 2010 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 KONOS. It's a unit study based on godly character traits, and it covers Bible, history, geography, science, arts and crafts, drama, literature, and more. You choose the activities you think you and your dc will like and ignore the rest. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 You could also look at Winter Promise. I really like the books in Sonlight, and their US history cores 3 & 4 are my favorite cores. No Hands on though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mrsjamiesouth Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Most of my issues have to do with either topics selected in the texts and how those selections influence the picture painted of a certain topic or actual presentation of, for example, Native Americans. I think in most cases my issues are a natural result of the time period in which the book was written. In some cases though I had issues in almost all the texts I viewed including many of the newer books. I get why she uses the books she does and why people appreciate it. I just think sometimes the perspective of time and history helps present topics in a more even handed way perhaps and that's missing with those older books particularly for me. I had hoped to pick up with her world history in 3rd grade but I looked at reviews on amazon of one of the "old book" spines (Hillyer) and I'm afraid it's not going to work for me either. Do you have thoughts on how I might be able to use them anyway or use other books with her guide or thoughts on the books that I'm missing? I really like her style, the ease of use, and love her literature. I wish the books could fit me. I see what you mean. Hmm....one thing you could do is find modern books to add to the curriculum and balance it out. Or would you want to use her guides without the history spines, use something like SOTW instead? LBC is a great curriculum, the only reason I didn't use it is my oldest son would have started it in the Reformation era and we have never done Ancients. It is not planned out like HOD though, it tells you what to do for a week but not as much daily. It does have suggested schedules on what subject to do on what days. http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=LBC&Category_Code=G3&offset=0 I am using LBC Grade 1 along with LHFHG. I use LBC for Art, Music, Geography and some nature. I use LHFHG for history and Bible. I use my own phonics and math. I also use a different science Elemental Bio and I added FLL to our day. It sounds complicated, but it works for us. Have you looked at MFW? What about EpiKardia? If you wanted to go more Classical, I have been checking out Easy Classical here: http://easyclassical.com/index.html I also really like Veritas and Memoria Press. Veritas has lots of good literature books. My oldest son uses the Lit. guides and we like those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 I'm designing my own plan for my 2nd grade ds to do American history in 1 year. I listed a schedule below of what we will be covering. Now that we are into it, I wish that we had planned two years. I've tried to keep him doing the same subject as his big sister so at least my mind is in the same place, KWIM? She's starting high school next year, so I wanted her to be able to go back to Ancients. I am using The Complete Book of United States History (I really like this one.), DK's Children's Encyclopedia of American History, Scholastic's 3D Interactive Maps, and A Beka's 3rd grade history text. I'm sorry you don't like the planning. I love that part. I'm sending a list of resources on each topic to several ladies from this board, but I'm not planning the day to day for them, just myself. I'd be glad to send the lists to you as well. Just pm me your email address. I'm just now planning Lewis and Clark though for the next week or two, so I might be a little behind you. Exploration 2 weeks Settlement 2 weeks (Roanoke and Jamestown 1 week, Plymouth the next) Colonial Life and American Revolution 4 weeks Frontier Life/Lewis and Clark 2 weeks War of 1812 1 week Trail of Tears and Native American study 3 weeks Westward Expansion 3 weeks (Oregon trail, Pony Express, Alamo, Gold Rush) Slavery and underground RR - 1 week Civil War and Lincoln 3 weeks Transcontinental RR 1 week Pioneer Life on Plains and Wild West 3 weeks Immigration & Statue of Liberty 1 week Inventions 2 weeks Panama Canal/Right to Vote 1 week WW I 1 week Depression 1 week WW II 2 weeks Civil Rights 1 week Space Race 1 week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Why not SOTW with the activity guide? It's full of those types of activities, supplemental reading lists, and so forth. If you prefer to do it on your own, The Well-Trained Mind lists history topics by grade, and some supplemental reading. It's how we old-timers did things back in the day . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Have you checked out Guesthollow.com? They have two free American History curricula that are really meaty. I think you'd get some great stuff there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewpeaceful Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Have you looked at Winterpromise? They have a great hands on, planned out, american history program for 1st-3rd grades with optional add on materials for older ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
home4school Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Have you checked out Guesthollow.com? They have two free American History curricula that are really meaty. I think you'd get some great stuff there! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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