Plan for combining Story of the World with state requirements for US History?

[rochellek]

I just moved to NY state, and I am "required" to teach US History for first grade. We really covered a lot of US History in Kindergarten, but of course there is more that we could do. I've been planning to do Story of the World with my daughter, and now I am wondering how I can cover both SOTW (Ancient Civilizations) and US History, without confusing or overloading my daughter.

 

Any thoughts about this? Thanks!

[ragmama]

I wish I could help you, but I just don't know...there's definitely no U.S. in SotW 1! (My daughter ADORED it age 6-7, though, and I hope yours will too.)

 

Do the NY SOLs tell you what needs to be covered as far as American history? I think I would use that as my starting point and work in only what they require...maybe do one "semester" each of SotW and American history. Good luck!

[NanceXToo]

I live in PA and US (and PA) History is one of the "required subjects" at the elementary level here, too. Now, I don't know about NY, but here in PA, it does not say HOW you need to teach it, and I really don't think it needs to be a formal, lengthy course of study...here OR there.

 

So far we have covered US History each year, but this year we won't be. This year we're focusing exclusively on ancients with Oak Meadow 6 and SOTW. The way I plan to address that is in my summary. I tend to write up a brief summary to include with my portfolio each year just summing up what types of things we did for each required subject (this fills out my more "minimal" portfolio as I only submit 3-5 samples per subject, and it helps to address things you can't easily provide a "sample" of like music or P.E.).

 

Anyway, under the History section, I plan to say something like:

 

This year we are focusing more on ancient history, but we are, however, also continuing to watch shows such as the Liberty’s Kids series and the How The States Got Their Shapes series, and/or documentaries recorded from The History Channel pertaining to United States history, and we continue to learn about Pennsylvania and United States history via conversation, reading and field trips.

 

Could you do something like that, too?

[Kalmia]

I'd double check the state regulations on that. I live in NY and while you are required to teach American history, I THINK it is just at some point during grades 1-6. No one I know taught American History in 1st, we all used Story of the World, and we all submitted quarterly reports. Anyway, all the American History they might teach in a NY school in 1st grade would probably take you a week to cover.

[Mrs_JWM]

I agree with Wendy and the other previous posters. I use SOTW, too, and just say that's what I'm using - no problems yet. We actually do a fair bit of US and state/regional history as well, just because we're interested in it, so the regs make me laugh when they say that has to be taught at least once in eight years. Yeah, that's probably enough... :tongue_smilie:

[Garga]

Here in PA, the requirements are that you teach US history sometime in the elementary school years. It's been interpreted by the powers that be that you don't have to teach it EVERY year. Just somewhere between `1st and 6th.

 

 

However, I have always taught my kids US history at the same time as SOTW. I have the books What your ?? Grader Needs to Know (from 1st to 5th grade), and they have chapters about US history in there.

 

So....for regular history, we follow SOTW. And then once or twice a week, we read a section about American history in What Your 1st Grader Needs to Know. When my oldest was the only one being schooled, we also got books from the library that corresponded with the WY1NTK and read them. (Now that I have 2 in school, I'm running out of time to read all the extra books.)

 

I did that for 1st and 2nd grade. Then...we hit 3rd grade. (last year). In 3rd grade, SOTW covers US history and the payoff was HUGE!!!! WOW!!!!! All those little dots connected in a brilliant way! It was like fireworks!

 

Suddenly, all the US history, which had been interesting to him...if a little unstuck in time...became so REAL. And I wanted that. I wanted him to know about our country's history all along, and I loved it that in 3rd grade it was fully cemented. It practically brought tears to our eyes when we finally UNDERSTOOD about the "pilgrims came to America because they wanted religious freedom." We knew they came for that reason, but after 3 years of reading about all the different civilizations and how sooo many since the beginning of time were controlled/manipulated/persecuted by/for their religions, it made so much more sense.

 

I think it was worth having him learn about US history and maybe not yet fully understand the context, yet still know the history and enjoy the stories. I wouldn't do it any other way. I've just started 1st grade with my 2nd son, and I'm not changing a single thing. The payoff was just too much fun!

 

I would imagine that any homeschooler would have fun doing that with whatever their home country is. I think it's important to know world history, but also important to be fully versed in your own country's history.

Edited August 5, 2011 by Garga

[warneral]

See this post from last week - it's the exact same scenario :) When I read it, I didn't post, but I was thinking "We are in a "good" school district in WI" and my kids have barely learned any history through 2nd grade. Other than some holidays and going to the local fire station (not really history but that is the type of social studies they covered through second grade).

 

Editing to include the link

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=297606&highlight=US%2BHistory

[NittanyJen]

Although we basically have no requirements, we live in an area rich with history... You practically fall over it. So we just kind of go on field trips and happen to talk about the settling of the country, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, colonial times, the lives of Native Americans, early Agriculture, the Great Depression, the Industrial Revolution, great artists, the great philanthropists, explorers... Whatever we tumble across.

 

Instead of all Ancients, some of our literature selections include American history (Little House, Little Sure Shot, for my fifth grader, Little Britches, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry was an eye-opener, and provided great discussions for US vs Ancient Greek and Roman style slavery as well as sharecropping vs slavery and the reconstruction).

 

We look at artwork from classically American painters and American poetry (Wyeth, Wyeth, Wyeth, Kuerner, Etc) and their portrayals of America, not in any planned way, but just as we stumble over them. Then there is always Schoolhouse Rock :001_smile: There is no reason for any kid not to be able to sing the preamble to the Constitution or explain the path of a bill (allowing for special circumstances, naturally).

 

 

When we finally get to US history, we'll have some favorite field trips to go back to, I'm sure, as well as new ones.

[Punchie]

I will be in your shoes next year - I don't have to do anything w/NY right now since DD just turned 5. But I plan on slipping in some of the requirements "outside the box", so to speak. So even though we're going to be doing ancients for 1st, we can go to various historical sites (Erie Canal? There's US history) and do read-alouds/activities based on US holidays. Very simple. I plan on taking the same approach w/fire safety, etc... as well. It was very liberating to realize that I *don't* have to use a structured curriculum for everything, and that I can make it all work w/very little stress or effort if I think creatively.

[Heidi]

Here in PA, the requirements are that you teach US history sometime in the elementary school years. It's been interpreted by the powers that be that you don't have to teach it EVERY year. Just somewhere between `1st and 6th.

 

 

However, I have always taught my kids US history at the same time as SOTW. I have the books What your ?? Grader Needs to Know (from 1st to 5th grade), and they have chapters about US history in there.

 

So....for regular history, we follow SOTW. And then once or twice a week, we read a section about American history in What Your 1st Grader Needs to Know. When my oldest was the only one being schooled, we also got books from the library that corresponded with the WY1NTK and read them. (Now that I have 2 in school, I'm running out of time to read all the extra books.)

 

I did that for 1st and 2nd grade. Then...we hit 3rd grade. (last year). In 3rd grade, SOTW covers US history and the payoff was HUGE!!!! WOW!!!!! All those little dots connected in a brilliant way! It was like fireworks!

 

Suddenly, all the US history, which had been interesting to him...if a little unstuck in time...became so REAL. And I wanted that. I wanted him to know about our country's history all along, and I loved it that in 3rd grade it was fully cemented. It practically brought tears to our eyes when we finally UNDERSTOOD about the "pilgrims came to America because they wanted religious freedom." We knew they came for that reason, but after 3 years of reading about all the different civilizations and how sooo many since the beginning of time were controlled/manipulated/persecuted by/for their religions, it made so much more sense.

 

I think it was worth having him learn about US history and maybe not yet fully understand the context, yet still know the history and enjoy the stories. I wouldn't do it any other way. I've just started 1st grade with my 2nd son, and I'm not changing a single thing. The payoff was just too much fun!

 

I would imagine that any homeschooler would have fun doing that with whatever their home country is. I think it's important to know world history, but also important to be fully versed in your own country's history.

 

That is awesome. I hope we have experience here too!

[NanceXToo]

But I plan on slipping in some of the requirements "outside the box", so to speak. So even though we're going to be doing ancients for 1st, we can go to various historical sites (Erie Canal? There's US history) and do read-alouds/activities based on US holidays. Very simple. I plan on taking the same approach w/fire safety, etc... as well. It was very liberating to realize that I *don't* have to use a structured curriculum for everything, and that I can make it all work w/very little stress or effort if I think creatively.

 

You're right. Instead of worrying so much about how to homeschool around what the home ed. law of your state says, try figuring out how what you are ALREADY naturally doing can be made to fit the home ed. law. I think you will find that it's actually pretty easy to do so. :) Go ahead and do ancient history- and I'm sure you will read a book or have a conversation, perhaps centered around a holiday, or go on a field trip, or watch a show, or play a game, or do SOMETHING that pertains to U.S. History without even trying or thinking about it.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I would just make it as informal as you can and do SOTW. Get a few liberties kids videos, talk about them after watching them. Maybe a few bedtime books from the library!