Human Odyssey

[Melissa in CA]

I mean HISTORY ODYSSEY!! Can you tell me your likes/dislikes? I am specifically interested in the Early Modern Level 2...but I am thinking of possibly using it for 9th grade. Too easy??

 

I am researching what to use for history next year. I own a brand new unopened TOG Y3, but my ds asked to ditch TOG in favor of a BJU textbook. So we dumped TOG Y2 about a month ago and picked up BJU. He likes BJU very much. I don't mind it as he is learning a lot, but a textbook makes me, well, a bit twitchy after so many years of using whole books. So, I can't decide if I want to continue with BJU next year, use the SL Core 100 I also own, try History Odyssey, or force him back to TOG (which would be MY 1st choice and probably his last since he no longer loves history like he use to...his love-interest is now science :)).

 

I like that HO seems to follow TWTM, and that it SCHEDULES outlines (writing seems to get done without as much fuss if it's part of the 'program' than mom just assigning it) but in all honestly I don't know how interesting my son will find reading from KFH. :confused:

 

I would love to hear your thoughts in regards to HO for 9th...as well my other choices. :D

 

[ETA I am talking about History Odyssey by Pandia...in case there is another book/program by that name]

Edited November 19, 2010 by Melissa in CA

[Capt_Uhura]

You are talking about History Odyssey by Pandia Press. There is a text called Human Odyssey which is produced by K12. You will both of these abbreviated as HO which gets really confusing. :lol:

[Melissa in CA]

You are talking about History Odyssey by Pandia Press. There is a text called Human Odyssey which is produced by K12. You will both of these abbreviated as HO which gets really confusing. :lol:

 

Ack! You're right!! I'm soooo confused. :tongue_smilie: Let's see if I can fix my post...

[Sasharowan]

Depends on where your son is on reading and writing whether it will be too simple for him. Early Modern 2 would be aimed at 7th graders, but the assignments are easy enough to bump up a level. We are doing Ancients levels 2 & 3 this year. In level 2, an assignment might say to summarize what you read about these 4 people. I can tweak it so that my 4th grader and 5 grader do the same assignment, but 5th grader writes a bit more (either longer or in depth). Level 3, I am having to tweak because ds14's writing skills just aren't where they need to be. If you look on their site, they have the first few weeks of the program downloadable for trying it out.

[Capt_Uhura]

Sasharowan - We're doing History Odyssey Ancients level 2 this year as well. We're still in the Try it Before You Buy It stage. If you have the entire year, can you tell me when outlining is introduced?

 

Thanks,

Capt_Uhura

[Sasharowan]

Sasharowan - We're doing History Odyssey Ancients level 2 this year as well. We're still in the Try it Before You Buy It stage. If you have the entire year, can you tell me when outlining is introduced?

 

Thanks,

Capt_Uhura

 

Outlining starts on lesson 27. They start with giving the first 2 both the main topic and 2 subtopics. I A B II A B, then they give III-VI and have the kids find 2 subtopics. By lesson 36, they are just assigned a two level outline for these pages, include at least 2 main topics. We just finished lesson 32. I like it because it covers all the little stuff that I never managed to include in my oldest's middle school years. We don't do the History Pockets. Instead we find library books covering those topic and maybe do a craft that fits more with their interest.

[Capt_Uhura]

Sasharowan - Thank you so much! Can I please ask one more question? What are you outlining? Is it from Kingfisher?

 

To the OP: OOPS sorry for the thread hijack.

[Melissa in CA]

Sasharowan - Thank you so much! Can I please ask one more question? What are you outlining? Is it from Kingfisher?

 

To the OP: OOPS sorry for the thread hijack.

 

:lol: No prob!

[Melissa in CA]

Level 3, I am having to tweak because ds14's writing skills just aren't where they need to be. If you look on their site, they have the first few weeks of the program downloadable for trying it out.

 

This would be my son. His writing is not at what I would consider grade level...no matter what I do. :001_huh:

 

We have just completed a thorough look into Ancient times and Middle Ages, so I would need to use the Early Modern...which is not currently offered in Level 3.

 

I've downloaded the Level 2 "try before you buy"...not sure when to try it though, and don't have the KFH. I do have the white Illustrated Kingfisher, but it doesn't line up with HistoryO. I guess I am just hesitant to waste more money on something that may not work for us. I personally don't understand how KFH would make a thorough history text. :confused: Which is one of the reasons I have hesitated following SWB's history suggestions. Love the outlining, and rewriting, but not too hip on the history 'text'.

[Stacy in NJ]

I find that we need to rearrange lessons a bit. Some of the lessons are quite time consuming while others are quite light. Also, the lit books aren't really evenly scheduled throughout the program. He's reading them in the order they're scheduled but not necessarily exactly when they're scheduled, if that makes sense.

 

I like the lesson content, the spines (Kingfisher and TSOM), the lit selections, and the other resources. We skip some of the writing assignments because he's completing another writing program.

 

Overall, I like it with a bit of tweeking. :D

[Stacy in NJ]

Doesn't HO also use The Story of Mankind as a spine for Early Modern?

[swimmermom3]

Melissa, what doesn't you son like about TOG? I am just thinking that from your previous posts you may not find happiness with either SL100 or HO2 without some serious tweaking. You are not going to get the same depth in an open-and-go format. What about the one Sue in St. Pete and Radiobrain use? History at Our House? But it looks like the time frame you want may not be covered.

 

Just a meager thought since I am without coffee. We tend to bash textbooks on this forum but forget about the way in which young minds develop. Some children prefer the textbook approach for the orderliness. Not all kids are able to pull the facts together across the spectrum while utilizing whole books. It is a skill that takes practice and at times, I think, a skilled and experienced instructor. Can you create a compromise that makes both you and your son happy?

[Cinder]

Hey Melissa, it's kind of funny to me that the first time I check out this new sub-forum there is a history question from you. :D

 

We actually spent some time with HO's try-before-you-buy. After our stint with TOG 2, that is. It just wasn't quite enough of a change for ds. He's been enjoying BJU 7. I think part of that is that everything is in one book. There's no read this book, tell me what you read about. Now read that book and outline these pages. Now go back to this book and . . .

 

From our previous discussion about using BJU, someone suggested keeping the things I liked, like outlining. So for each chapter I choose one section for ds to outline. I got the student activities book and use it primarily for the mapwork. We haven't done timeline work. When we used Biblioplan it just seemed like too much busywork and he got nothing from it. For the other sections in the chapter I usually just have him answer the review questions. Sometimes I will have him just write a summary of the section, but I do this only once per chapter at most. Even though these are activities we'd been doing before with TOG or Biblioplan or HO, for some reason ds enjoys it more with a textbook. It has certainly made our history time more pleasant.

 

HTH

Cinder

[Melissa in CA]

Melissa, what doesn't you son like about TOG? I am just thinking that from your previous posts you may not find happiness with either SL100 or HO2 without some serious tweaking. You are not going to get the same depth in an open-and-go format. What about the one Sue in St. Pete and Radiobrain use? History at Our House? But it looks like the time frame you want may not be covered.

 

Just a meager thought since I am without coffee. We tend to bash textbooks on this forum but forget about the way in which young minds develop. Some children prefer the textbook approach for the orderliness. Not all kids are able to pull the facts together across the spectrum while utilizing whole books. It is a skill that takes practice and at times, I think, a skilled and experienced instructor. Can you create a compromise that makes both you and your son happy?

 

This is exactly what my ds doesn't like about TOG and does like about BJU (see bolded above). He liked the TOG books a lot (we BOTH, at one time loved TOG), but pulling information from so many books and trying to answer the discussion questions, was putting him over the edge. He was beginning to hate history. :glare:

 

He had never used a textbook for history. Ever. But when he saw how much he really liked BJU's science textbooks...he wanted that for history too. Ugh. It broke my heart. I'm having a hard time letting go, which is why I am looking at anything and everything before going ahead with BJU next year.

 

The brand new, unopened TOG Y3 sitting in the closet is driving me crazy. And I have my half used Y2 still staring at me on the shelf, along with an entire SL Core 100. I can't bring myself to sell anything because I keep thinking he'll come to his senses! :lol:

 

Perhaps HO2 is my last-ditch effort to hold on to what *I* want. I don't know. I suppose I need to let go and allow him to grow up and learn the way he enjoys best. :tongue_smilie: He'll definitely get textbooks in college.

[Melissa in CA]

Hey Melissa, it's kind of funny to me that the first time I check out this new sub-forum there is a history question from you. :D

 

We actually spent some time with HO's try-before-you-buy. After our stint with TOG 2, that is. It just wasn't quite enough of a change for ds. He's been enjoying BJU 7. I think part of that is that everything is in one book. There's no read this book, tell me what you read about. Now read that book and outline these pages. Now go back to this book and . . .

 

From our previous discussion about using BJU, someone suggested keeping the things I liked, like outlining. So for each chapter I choose one section for ds to outline. I got the student activities book and use it primarily for the mapwork. We haven't done timeline work. When we used Biblioplan it just seemed like too much busywork and he got nothing from it. For the other sections in the chapter I usually just have him answer the review questions. Sometimes I will have him just write a summary of the section, but I do this only once per chapter at most. Even though these are activities we'd been doing before with TOG or Biblioplan or HO, for some reason ds enjoys it more with a textbook. It has certainly made our history time more pleasant.

 

HTH

Cinder

 

[sigh] Thanks Cinder, you've actually made me feel better. :001_smile:

 

I think sometimes I just need reassurance that I am doing the right thing. I've been anti-textbook for soooo many years that it's very hard to let go. Ack! (let go already, Melissa!) I was very in love with TOG, and all those fabulous books. I freak out inside everytime I look at all the lovely history books on my shelf that my ds will never get to read. BUT...

 

History has definitely gotten better here since beginning BJU. He's learning gobs...actually learning...and it's not putting him over the edge. He likes history again and that's more important than my TOG separation anxiety. Ha! I need to stop overthinking everything, don't I?

 

Besides, I just read the beginning of The Story of Mankind online and about had a heart attack. What utter nonsense! :lol: I don't necessarily need a Christian history book, but I guess I don't really want one written by a Secular Humanist either.

[Capt_Uhura]

WE've just started w/ History Odyssey Ancients level 2. I'm not using TSoM. We're using K12's Human Odyssey instead along w/ World in Ancients Times.

[swimmermom3]

[sigh] Thanks Cinder, you've actually made me feel better. :001_smile:

 

I think sometimes I just need reassurance that I am doing the right thing. I've been anti-textbook for soooo many years that it's very hard to let go. Ack! (let go already, Melissa!) I was very in love with TOG, and all those fabulous books. I freak out inside everytime I look at all the lovely history books on my shelf that my ds will never get to read. BUT...

 

History has definitely gotten better here since beginning BJU. He's learning gobs...actually learning...and it's not putting him over the edge. He likes history again and that's more important than my TOG separation anxiety. Ha! I need to stop overthinking everything, don't I?

 

Besides, I just read the beginning of The Story of Mankind online and about had a heart attack. What utter nonsense! :lol: I don't necessarily need a Christian history book, but I guess I don't really want one written by a Secular Humanist either.

 

Melissa, why won't you get to use your lovely books? I use texts for both kids now for history, but it is a small percentage of their history work. It provides the background material. We still map and do a basic timeline. Their literature rounds out the history. For example, my dd may read the 1-2 pages on ancient Greece in her text, but will still read Edith Hamilton's The Greek Way. Art and philosophy books that are used in other subjects provide still more depth. The text provides the map, the other books, the sites along the way.

[Sasharowan]

Sasharowan - Thank you so much! Can I please ask one more question? What are you outlining? Is it from Kingfisher?

 

To the OP: OOPS sorry for the thread hijack.

Yes, the outlining is from Kingfisher.

[Sasharowan]

This would be my son. His writing is not at what I would consider grade level...no matter what I do. :001_huh:

 

We have just completed a thorough look into Ancient times and Middle Ages, so I would need to use the Early Modern...which is not currently offered in Level 3.

 

I've downloaded the Level 2 "try before you buy"...not sure when to try it though, and don't have the KFH. I do have the white Illustrated Kingfisher, but it doesn't line up with HistoryO. I guess I am just hesitant to waste more money on something that may not work for us. I personally don't understand how KFH would make a thorough history text. :confused: Which is one of the reasons I have hesitated following SWB's history suggestions. Love the outlining, and rewriting, but not too hip on the history 'text'.

How is his reading skills? If they are at high school level, try using the New History of the World from Level 3 in place of Kingfisher but stick with the lower writing requirements of level 2. I often change ds14's writing from history to match what he is learning in his writing program. For instance,he was to do a compare/contrast paragraph in writing and a paper compering/contrasting 2 people in history. I assigned the paragraph using the people from history and counted it for both.

[Sasharowan]

I find that we need to rearrange lessons a bit. Some of the lessons are quite time consuming while others are quite light. Also, the lit books aren't really evenly scheduled throughout the program. He's reading them in the order they're scheduled but not necessarily exactly when they're scheduled, if that makes sense.

 

I have found that with 2 kids in the same level, I have to fudge with the order and timing of books so that they are not fighting over them.

[Melissa in CA]

Melissa, why won't you get to use your lovely books? I use texts for both kids now for history, but it is a small percentage of their history work. It provides the background material. We still map and do a basic timeline. Their literature rounds out the history. For example, my dd may read the 1-2 pages on ancient Greece in her text, but will still read Edith Hamilton's The Greek Way. Art and philosophy books that are used in other subjects provide still more depth. The text provides the map, the other books, the sites along the way.

 

Because, for starters, I wouldn't know when to add them in. :confused: I'm not good at creating my own history package...which is why I prefer TOG or SL.

 

BJU has the map work included in the Student Activity book, so that is covered. It's the other wonderful history-encyclopedia fact-oriented books that I don't know how to add in without over doing it and driving my ds to distraction. Also picking out the lit and having him read it at the right time...well...makes me crazy. I can't handle all the choices! I NEED someone to make them for me...yes, I am THAT helpless. It's horrible to be me. :tongue_smilie:

[swimmermom3]

Because, for starters, I wouldn't know when to add them in. :confused: I'm not good at creating my own history package...which is why I prefer TOG or SL.

 

BJU has the map work included in the Student Activity book, so that is covered. It's the other wonderful history-encyclopedia fact-oriented books that I don't know how to add in without over doing it and driving my ds to distraction. Also picking out the lit and having him read it at the right time...well...makes me crazy. I can't handle all the choices! I NEED someone to make them for me...yes, I am THAT helpless. It's horrible to be me. :tongue_smilie:

 

Oh, we could help you, Melissa.:D:D:D

[swimmermom3]

Wait! Why not look at something like Biblioplan? It's cheap to download. I am not saying to use it, but there are many books that you could use with BJU and that you probably already have. Do you have the Kingfisher Encyclopedia? Then look at the topic on the Biblioplan, see what reading goes with it and line it up your BJ. You can do it, girl. I know you can.

[Melissa in CA]

Wait! Why not look at something like Biblioplan? It's cheap to download. I am not saying to use it, but there are many books that you could use with BJU and that you probably already have. Do you have the Kingfisher Encyclopedia? Then look at the topic on the Biblioplan, see what reading goes with it and line it up your BJ. You can do it, girl. I know you can.

 

Hmmm...off to have a Biblioplan look-see! ;)