Classical Conversations...do you use History & Science

[cam112198]

I was just wondering for those of you that do Classical Conversations, do you do a separate History and Science curriculum or do you just build on the memory work? I would like to start using Story of the World Volume 2, and I wasn't sure if it was best to start from the beginning and go chapter by chapter, or skip around and read chapters based on the history sentence?

 

I would love any suggestions!

[abaent]

Hi, We have been in CC for two years now and have tried combining SOTW in two different ways. Last year, I tried to skip around in volume 1 to match our history statements, but ultimately I got bogged down in the jumping and felt as though there were gaps in our study. This year in cycle 2, I started with SOTW volume 2 (following it in chapter order) and am finding that we are all much happier treating the CC statements as memory work while using the SOTW for our history core. Actually, between SOTW, the history statements and the Veritas timeline cards I have found that my kids have an amazing understanding of historical sequencing.

 

Regarding the science, during CC we stick to the science statements. We read lots of books on the topics, create projects when applicable, and play games to ensure that we really learn about the subject matter in each statement. However, with CC only being 24 weeks long we add in the Apologia (K-5) series during our breaks and throughout the summer. The kids really don't see that as school since the projects and activities are so much fun.

 

Most of the families at my campus follow the suggestions that I have outlined as successful for us. In our experience the combination of the SOTW study, quick CC memory work, and Veritas oral timeline have been wonderful.

 

HTH?

[Goldilocks]

:iagree:

 

CC has history set up in a completely different way than SOTW. It would be really difficult to follow along. We have stuck with our own schedule of STOW and my children (and myself :tongue_smilie:) get really excited when we hear a name, date, or event that we have sung about in a history sentence. I see everyone's face light up with the connections they are making and we burst into song for a moment or two before getting back to business.

 

While having some context to go along with the sentence is important, the purpose of the sentences is to give a child a way to categorize information that they encounter later.

 

For science, we followed the CC topics by checking out books at the library on that topic and making notebook pages.

[Aloha2U]

I'd already planned out our history and science for this year, before I even knew that we'd be participating in a CC community, so I decided to stick w/the plan and just consider CC supplementary, especially since I didn't entirely know what to expect from CC (being that this is our community's first year in existence and the only one in the area).

 

It just so happens that, similar to a pp (abaent), our experience with the combination of what we have done and are doing at home (listed in signature below and on our blog), VP's timeline, CC's memory work and science experiments/projects has been wonderful here too!

 

If, God willing, we continue to participate in the CC community next year and beyond, which seems most likely, then I'll still do our own thing at home and consider CC supplementary, albeit highly complimentary.

 

HTH too?

 

:001_smile: Melissa

Edited October 31, 2010 by CMama

[lauracolumbus]

We pretty much do the same as pp, except we listen to SOTW in the car. I also do a "This Day in History" to start our day every day. We'll also watch some historical dvds.

 

With science I use the science sentences as jumping off points for dvds that we watch in the evenings. I have ds12 doing Apologia Genl very slowly and Joy Hakim's as well.

 

I sometimes go deeper into the science sentences if I want to make sure they understand a concept.

 

HTH<

Laura

[Hedgehogs4]

We listen to SOTW in the car, all the time, so the kids have the context for the history...when we get to the end of the cd's, we just go back and listen again. for each history sentence, i reread the corresponding part of SOTW and any other corresponding books that we choose.

 

For science, I am loosely going along with the science questions and doing Apologia Astronomy, so i guess i actually am doing the reverse of what the previous posters are doing.

 

Next year, for cycle 3 which is all US history and geography, I will more likely go strictly with cc as our spine for all subjects.

[dsmama]

We are doing SOTW 2 for History and God's Design for Heaven and Earth for Science (Our Universe in the fall and Our Planet Earth in the spring).

 

I have a schedule of chapters, etc., if you would like to see it, though honestly I have slowed down the pace of history to include more projects, etc. PM me if you would like it. I also follow Paige's SOTW 2 schedule somewhat, too.

[Mom0012]

When I was using CC, I had planned on taking whatever our history and science sentences were for the week and studying them more in-depth. I was going to get library books to go deeper with those topics.

 

Then, I went to a homeschool convention, saw SL, and it was all over. I've been using SL ever since. It really wasn't necessary to line up our history/science with the CC memory work at all.

 

So, I'm sure you could do it either way, but if you really want to use SOTW, I would go ahead and do that and enjoy it.

 

Lisa

[i.love.lucy]

We listen to SOTW in the car, all the time, so the kids have the context for the history...when we get to the end of the cd's, we just go back and listen again. for each history sentence, i reread the corresponding part of SOTW and any other corresponding books that we choose.

 

Next year, for cycle 3 which is all US history and geography, I will more likely go strictly with cc as our spine for all subjects.

This is us too. We listen and get lots of extra books for history, and I include literature readings with the timeline. I am noticing that we are still fully engrossed in medieval and might be for some time even as CC moves on, but my hope is to keep up with it.

 

For science we flesh out the science to make sure there is an understanding, and I work on drilling the scientific method by doing at least one experiment a week. But we just started Astronomy and love it, so we will likely stick with that for a while.

 

All this to say, yes, we use CC as our spine and flesh it out with library or owned books. I am finding it's plenty for my kids with everything else they are doing.

[cam112198]

Thank you guys SO much!! Everything you said was so helpful! I really am just wanting to pick up SOTW 2 and just enjoy it.....and I want to start from the beginning.