Could you help me fill this huge, gaping hole in our history studies?

[Greta]

Thinking ahead to next year, 6th grade. We've studied ancient history (Egypt, Greece, Rome, etc.) and we've studied American history, but nothing in-between. No middle ages, Renaissance, Reformation . . . nada. Rather embarrassing to admit on these very history-oriented boards of all places! But the first step in getting help is admitting you have a problem, right? :blush:

 

My dd is not exactly an avid reader. Something high-interest and engaging, without being too verbose or heavy, would work best for her. A beautifully illustrated book/course would be wonderful.

 

I'm learning that tests and quizzes are a really good way to cement what she has learned. Just reading and narrating doesn't seem to quite do the trick. So I would prefer something with tests and reviews already made, but I can make my own if it's a particularly stellar book that would be worth the effort.

 

I could particularly use some help with regards to covering the Reformation. I'm not very knowledgeable about history myself, and I want to cover this with as much fairness and neutrality as possible. We are Orthodox, so rather than view it from either a Protestant or a Catholic perspective, I would like to help her (and myself!) understand it from both sides. So, either one resource that deals with it in this way, or separate resources???

 

Thanks for any help. I'm really clueless on this one!

 

ETA: Forgot to mention that my daughter is very sensitive, so a bare minimum of violence, gruesomeness, suffering, and heartache is a must. None would be preferred, if it's remotely possible to tell history that way (which I doubt).

Edited February 13, 2011 by GretaLynne

[elegantlion]

I recently found this series of books, What life was like.

This one talks about the Reformation. There are several in the series from ancient times onward. Our library has these, the text is accessible to the middle school level and they are filled with pictures. I plan on using three of these books next year for our jaunt through renaissance, reformation, and elizabethan times. I will fill out with some literature and art study.

 

Another series to consider is the Oxford Medieval and Early Modern Series. It also is middle school level, has great pictures. This series pays more attention to primary source documents as well.

 

I like the Oxford series for the primary sources, but they are also more expensive and I like the copious amount of pictures in the What life was like series.

[DianeJM]

Maybe SL Core 7? Or BJU World Studies? SOTW 3 & 4? How far did you get in the chronology? If you wanted to start with the middle ages or thereabouts, these suggestions would be fairly appropriate in terms of where in the chronology to jump in.

 

Another thought, if you wanted to just start over from the beginning, you could certainly do that. For this year, I'm doing BJU 6 which covers the beginning to the middle ages, and I'm planning BJU World Studies for next year, 7th, which picks up from there and goes to modern times. I needed world history in two years, not 4, so that's what I chose. We'd never done ancients before, and it's been a blast.

 

I added in some Sonlight, and some SOTW, and, as usual, I bit off more than I could chew, so I'm behind where I wanted to be. But for us history is fun, so we will have no problem going into summer with it.

 

Well, some thoughts anyway.

Hope you find just the right thing!

Blessings,

[PeterPan]

We're doing the VP MARR self-paced online class, and it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, really and truly. Go check it out. My dd ADORES, LOVES, CRAVES, and BEGS for this class. She wakes up early to be able to do it on her own time! When the trial ended (and our use due to lack of funds) she cried for MONTHS asking if she could have it again. Now she does. :)

 

Yes, it has quizzes, lots of connection-making, narratives, book connections (they'll pop up lists telling what to read next), etc. It's all there, and it's crazy fun. Now my dd goes around lamenting that she doesn't know *all* the dates she wants to know to be able to make connections in history. How sick is that?!?! I mean this is the dyslexic child who would have died if I had said memorize the date of some irrelevant schism this or that. (You can tell I'm not a history person.) Now she thinks they're utterly useful. Thanks VP.

[PeterPan]

I got the What Life Was Life books after Paula mentioned them, and while they're really great, they're sort of overmuch for most 6th graders. The Oxford series is nice, by all means get any of those you like. SOTW2 even would be fine. Anything from the VP catalog for that time period would be fine. The nice this with the self-paced online class is it creates the bones, and you just throw things at them. It gets the bulk done and leaves you to add in the fun stuff (parties, costumes, fiction, etc.). :)

[Greta]

I recently found this series of books, What life was like.

 

Another series to consider is the Oxford Medieval and Early Modern Series.

 

These both sound great -- thanks so much! :001_smile:

[Greta]

How far did you get in the chronology?

 

I'm so glad you asked me this, because you made me realized that I forgot to mention something VERY important in choosing a good history book for my dd. We are talking about one very sensitive child, here.

 

We got to the point in SOTW2 where it talked about the plague, and then it was all over. She was absolutely horrified. It was an ordeal that lasted for weeks. And I couldn't get her to open the book again after that. This was several years ago, and I thought she might be "tougher" now. But more recently, in our American history studies, she read that Massachusetts colony would pay settlers money for scalps of the Native Americans. The history lesson was over for the day, because I spent the rest of the time trying to get her to stop crying.

 

So clearly, we need a pretty "cleaned up" version of events for her to be able to learn, and not get completely derailed. Any resources that would work best for her? Or that should definitely be avoided?

[Greta]

We're doing the VP MARR self-paced online class, and it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, really and truly. Go check it out. My dd ADORES, LOVES, CRAVES, and BEGS for this class. She wakes up early to be able to do it on her own time! When the trial ended (and our use due to lack of funds) she cried for MONTHS asking if she could have it again. Now she does. :)

 

Wow, if I could find something that would make her love history that much . . . well, just wow! :D Thanks for mentioning this - I will most definitely check it out.

[Carol in Cal.]

Rats, Bulls, and Flying Machines is a great book about the Renaissance and Reformation that is pretty neutral.

[littleWMN]

We're doing the VP MARR self-paced online class, and it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, really and truly. Go check it out. My dd ADORES, LOVES, CRAVES, and BEGS for this class. She wakes up early to be able to do it on her own time! When the trial ended (and our use due to lack of funds) she cried for MONTHS asking if she could have it again. Now she does. :)

 

Yes, it has quizzes, lots of connection-making, narratives, book connections (they'll pop up lists telling what to read next), etc. It's all there, and it's crazy fun. Now my dd goes around lamenting that she doesn't know *all* the dates she wants to know to be able to make connections in history. How sick is that?!?! I mean this is the dyslexic child who would have died if I had said memorize the date of some irrelevant schism this or that. (You can tell I'm not a history person.) Now she thinks they're utterly useful. Thanks VP.

 

Wow, that looks fun! We just watched some of the sample. My 1st grader was enthralled :D, but I'm considering this for my 5th grader next year. Wish it were cheaper but it looks awesome!

[Greta]

Rats, Bulls, and Flying Machines is a great book about the Renaissance and Reformation that is pretty neutral.

 

Cool, thanks!

[Avila]

Dorothy Mills' The Middle Ages and The Renaissance are what we are using this year. I think it strikes a good balance. It is narrative, and it leans a lot toward social history (what people really lived like, what they thought, what influenced them). She doesn't ignore the violence, but she doesn't focus on it or go into depth with it. Memoria Press is coming out with some guides for Mills, but they haven't gone up this far, and I don't know if they will.

 

The only disadvantage is that it is pretty much Western Civ only. You would possibly want to add in Kingfisher or something else to get the rest of the world. And there are no pictures really.

 

But I love these books. I can't imagine teaching world history without them.

Edited February 13, 2011 by Asenik

[PeterPan]

Is Rats, Bulls, and Flying Machines back in print? We have it. It's really neat, a dense read. It wasn't the type of thing my dd just wanted to sit down and read. (Guess we're wimps?) I usually just throw books at dd, and either they stick or they don't. Maybe your library has it.

 

Trying to think if there's anything gorey or shocking in MARR. I will ask dd. You could call them and talk with them about it. She sounds quite sensitive. I don't have a dc that sensitive, so I'm really no help there.

 

littlewmn--They give multi-child (and multi-course!) discounts on the classes, so it ends up a bit more affordable. You'll pay $250 for the first child/course and 1/2 that for the 2nd. $375 for two kids to have a year of history lessons doesn't seem so bad to me. They're extremely well-done. You have costumed actors, all the memory songs, interactive games. It's just all there. Totally worth the money. You can't tell what I'm planning to use with ds, eh? :)

[Karen in CO]

We're doing the VP MARR self-paced online class, and it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, really and truly. Go check it out. My dd ADORES, LOVES, CRAVES, and BEGS for this class. She wakes up early to be able to do it on her own time! When the trial ended (and our use due to lack of funds) she cried for MONTHS asking if she could have it again. Now she does. :)

 

Yes, it has quizzes, lots of connection-making, narratives, book connections (they'll pop up lists telling what to read next), etc. It's all there, and it's crazy fun. Now my dd goes around lamenting that she doesn't know *all* the dates she wants to know to be able to make connections in history. How sick is that?!?! I mean this is the dyslexic child who would have died if I had said memorize the date of some irrelevant schism this or that. (You can tell I'm not a history person.) Now she thinks they're utterly useful. Thanks VP.

 

OhElizabeth, Would this be doable by a secular homeschooler?

[DianeJM]

...We are talking about one very sensitive child, here... So clearly, we need a pretty "cleaned up" version of events for her to be able to learn, and not get completely derailed. Any resources that would work best for her? Or that should definitely be avoided?

 

I guess my suggestion would be to choose whatever materials seem good to you, but when you're planning the lesson, make sure you edit out the details that cause melt down.

Wow, she does sound really sensitive. Some kids are like that. They do get over it to some degree sooner or later.

As I remember, ABeka books don't elaborate on many of the gory details. Just a thought.

[Greta]

I guess my suggestion would be to choose whatever materials seem good to you, but when you're planning the lesson, make sure you edit out the details that cause melt down.

 

Yes, this is a good suggestion. The only problem is that sometimes even I am surprised by what will trigger strong emotions. But I will try to be more careful.

 

 

Wow, she does sound really sensitive. Some kids are like that. They do get over it to some degree sooner or later.

 

That's good to know! It's hard for me to know how to handle it sometimes. Her empathy and compassion and strong sense of morality are not only commendable traits, but I also believe they are God-given ones. So I certainly don't want to squelch them. But I do need to find ways to help her deal with it when they weigh her down so much. I guess that's another thread entirely. :) But if you have any ideas, please let me know!!!

 

 

As I remember, ABeka books don't elaborate on many of the gory details. Just a thought.

 

Thanks!

[Greta]

Trying to think if there's anything gorey or shocking in MARR. I will ask dd. You could call them and talk with them about it.

 

That would be great, if you could ask your dd about it, and I will call or email them too. Thanks!

[Greta]

Dorothy Mills' The Middle Ages and The Renaissance are what we are using this year. I think it strikes a good balance. It is narrative, and it leans a lot toward social history (what people really lived like, what they thought, what influenced them). She doesn't ignore the violence, but she doesn't focus on it or go into depth with it. Memoria Press is coming out with some guides for Mills, but they haven't gone up this far, and I don't know if they will.

 

The only disadvantage is that it is pretty much Western Civ only. You would possibly want to add in Kingfisher or something else to get the rest of the world. And there are no pictures really.

 

But I love these books. I can't imagine teaching world history without them.

 

Thank you! The part I put in bold especially sounds good. I think my dd would like that.

[mommaduck]

We're doing the VP MARR self-paced online class, and it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, really and truly. Go check it out. My dd ADORES, LOVES, CRAVES, and BEGS for this class. She wakes up early to be able to do it on her own time! When the trial ended (and our use due to lack of funds) she cried for MONTHS asking if she could have it again. Now she does. :)

 

Yes, it has quizzes, lots of connection-making, narratives, book connections (they'll pop up lists telling what to read next), etc. It's all there, and it's crazy fun. Now my dd goes around lamenting that she doesn't know *all* the dates she wants to know to be able to make connections in history. How sick is that?!?! I mean this is the dyslexic child who would have died if I had said memorize the date of some irrelevant schism this or that. (You can tell I'm not a history person.) Now she thinks they're utterly useful. Thanks VP.

VP is very much Protestant sided, however ;) But they do have some good resources for that side of things.

[HoneyFernDotOrg]

How about studying people in each era? Focus on biographies. If you want to work on the middle ages, say, you can start with Charlemagne, and if you are not secular there are lots of religious figures in every time period to focus on. The lives of famous people can tell a lot about the time period, and biographies often teach the value of persistence.

 

The other thing I have done in the past is a timeline; I put duct tape around an entire room, then we have a discussion about time and how to divide it up, how historians decide what to include (who decides what to include), how do we know one era has ended and another begins, etc. Every time something comes up (including people, events, books published, inventions - anything with a date), it get put on the timeline; kid makes a card that can be illustrated and up it goes. It is a daily visual reminder of the connectedness of things, too, which really helps when understanding how change occurs over time. Critical thinking skills, too!

 

If you start from where you stopped, that will be a good review, too.

[Greta]

How about studying people in each era? Focus on biographies. If you want to work on the middle ages, say, you can start with Charlemagne, and if you are not secular there are lots of religious figures in every time period to focus on. The lives of famous people can tell a lot about the time period, and biographies often teach the value of persistence.

 

The other thing I have done in the past is a timeline; I put duct tape around an entire room, then we have a discussion about time and how to divide it up, how historians decide what to include (who decides what to include), how do we know one era has ended and another begins, etc. Every time something comes up (including people, events, books published, inventions - anything with a date), it get put on the timeline; kid makes a card that can be illustrated and up it goes. It is a daily visual reminder of the connectedness of things, too, which really helps when understanding how change occurs over time. Critical thinking skills, too!

 

If you start from where you stopped, that will be a good review, too.

 

This is good food for thought. Thanks! When I first read some CM-advocates recommending focusing on biographies, it made a lot of sense to me. I should give it a try.

[DianeJM]

Her empathy and compassion and strong sense of morality are not only commendable traits, but I also believe they are God-given ones. So I certainly don't want to squelch them. But I do need to find ways to help her deal with it when they weigh her down so much.

 

Greta, I totally understand what you're saying. My youngest is quite sensitive as well, with a tender heart. I agree with you that it's God-given. I need to work with him through things I didn't have to spend that much time on with the others. It can be confusing at times for us moms. At 12 years old now, things are a lot better than they used to be, although he is still "him" and that's his personality. I just want to encourage you that God will guide you through. And I think the biggest help may not be so much the curriculum you choose, but you yourself :).

Blessings!

[Greta]

Greta, I totally understand what you're saying. My youngest is quite sensitive as well, with a tender heart. I agree with you that it's God-given. I need to work with him through things I didn't have to spend that much time on with the others. It can be confusing at times for us moms. At 12 years old now, things are a lot better than they used to be, although he is still "him" and that's his personality. I just want to encourage you that God will guide you through. And I think the biggest help may not be so much the curriculum you choose, but you yourself :).

Blessings!

 

Diane, thank you so much for posting this. :001_smile: It's hard to watch your child struggling and hurting, and it's hard to have that guilt and worry as a parent that I've done something wrong that has made her so sensitive. But deep in my heart I know that she is who she is, independent of me, and through prayer, I feel that God is reminding me that she is in His hands. It's nice to hear from a Mom of multiple children who has one more tender-hearted one -- a good reminder that it is the child's nature and not all the result of "nurture". But now I do have to learn how best to nurture her, help her figure out how to protect her tender heart. And thus I'll keep praying - for help and wisdom!

[Verity]

We are doing Middles Ages and Renaissance this year with my 8 and 12 year olds. My older son is doing History Odyssey 2 along with Famous Men of the Middle Ages. MP put out a Famous Men book along with a student workbook (and a teacher book for answers if that would help). The MP books include classic art to illustrate the topic. The student workbooks include vocabulary, quotes, comprehension questions, mapwork and even offers extra assignments (optional) to draw a picture or other kinds of supplements. I think it's a great set and written in a classical way. For ease I would think that FMoMA would be a great summer course to catch up on the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

[Greta]

We are doing Middles Ages and Renaissance this year with my 8 and 12 year olds. My older son is doing History Odyssey 2 along with Famous Men of the Middle Ages. MP put out a Famous Men book along with a student workbook (and a teacher book for answers if that would help). The MP books include classic art to illustrate the topic. The student workbooks include vocabulary, quotes, comprehension questions, mapwork and even offers extra assignments (optional) to draw a picture or other kinds of supplements. I think it's a great set and written in a classical way. For ease I would think that FMoMA would be a great summer course to catch up on the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

 

I had seen this in their catalog and wondered about it. Thanks for this info!