SOTW and more Co-op, from 1st- 6th...

[SonshineLearner]

Hi There!

 

Here's the deal; we have a couple ways to do our history cycle.

 

I'm wondering which way would be best; can you please give me your thoughts.

 

For kids under 1st, we are doing another class instead of "classical history";

 

For kids in 7th and 8th, we are doing The All American History (2 years)

 

and starting for Highschool, MFW.(which starts in Ancient)

 

So, for 1st-6th, either..... All 42 weeks... over a few years... or 1 book a year.

 

One is more "rushed" and one is "more relaxed" but doesn't fit into the "do a History Cycle each year.

 

So,

1st SOTW Volume 1

2nd SOTW Volume 2

3rd SOTW Volume 3

4th SOTW Volume 4

 

Or

All the books split into 30 weeks each (1 chapter a week) which has us doing Volumes 1-4 over 6 years... (plus a few weeks for other history info we've found)

 

Which one, and why?? :)

Edited May 4, 2011 by NayfiesMama

[SonshineLearner]

pop :)

[JudoMom]

What would you do for 5th-6th if you completed SOTW in 4 years?

 

I guess I'll give you my opinion before you answer. I think I'd lean toward doing SOTW in 4 years, and then covering World History again in 2 years for 5th-6th. I like the 6 year option, but if you have people coming and going it, I'd like the students to be able to be exposed to World History again before high school.

[Carol in Cal.]

OK, here is what I would do:

 

SOTW1 integrated with Bible--grades 1 and 2.

SOTW2--grade 3. Do all the lessons, sometimes one per week and sometimes two to fit them all in.

SOTW3--grade 4 as SOTW2

SOTW4--grade 5 as SOTW2; start integrating outlining here as well.

 

Grade 6: All American History 1, with Critical Thinking in US History

Grade 7: All American History 2, with Critical Thinking in US History

Grade 8: One semester of Church History--Concordia Voyages Church History--this would give you a review of world history from a church history perspective. It's a little light, so couple it with an Old Testament Survey--Concordia Voyages has that as well in their 7th grade curriculum.

Then one semester of Contemporary Issues (from a Biblical perspective) coupled with New Testament Survey--these are part of the 8th grade Voyages curriculum.

 

This outfits kids extremely well going into high school, whether they homeschool or not.

 

The Concordia materials are each about half strength, because they are written on the assumption that they are going to be coupled with intensive Confirmation/ Catechism study during those same years. So they would be easy to double up.

 

I should probably add that I don't particularly like AAH. I wanted to, but I didn't (we tried it). Having said that, having it be taught orally would have redeemed it, largely. When I tried it I needed something a little more independent, and also DD was in 5th grade. Having her slog through the vocabulary and all the weighty preliminary information to get to the 'meat' of the chapters was miserable. I didn't have time to do it justice. I think pushing it out to 6th grade and doing it in a coop would have been pretty effective.