History Scheduled yet? I need assistance.

[Create Your Ritual]

So, in the last few weeks since everything has started arriving I have buckled down and started scheduling writing, math, and science. I have four weeks of preschool activities, crafts, etc. all ready to go for the wild man. I have also been up two straight nights past midnight trying to get new laptops upgraded and ready for the kids and their first day of school. (download restrictions until then on Hughesnet) I am pooped!

(O.K. do I officially have you feeling bad for me yet??)

 

I am crossing my fingers that some one as crazy as I would like to trade a science schedule consisting of Elemental Science Logic Stage (not yet worked that in, but it will follow after this) - - BFSU I, Middle School Chemistry, some Supercharged Science, Books & Online Resources to go with it for a schedule of - (drum roll please)

 

K12HO Vol I/II texts, mixed with Oxford Medieval 7 Volume Set and has possibly set it all to Pandia Press' History Odyssey Level 2 Middle Ages. ;-)

 

What are the chances of that? ;-)

 

Frankly, the task looks daunting today. I will do it, but I don't want to. ha

 

Luckymama ... I hope you see this... I am starting out using your schedule from last year as we will still be there, but man oh man how I wish you had the other posted. Your first one rocked! Swimmermom??? I know you are doing something like this. Would I be able to bribe someone with cookies?? ;-)

Edited August 11, 2011 by SaDonna

[Capt_Uhura]

That was my goal for the summer....to replicate Swimmermom's beautiful Ancients schedule for MIddle Ages but ala....life interfered. I think Luckymama was working on one but I think life got in her way as well. We're not doing w/ Ancients yet. I'm going to try and compress it into a few months so we can move into Middle Ages mid-year. I hope to start on a schedule next week when the kids are at all-day sports camp.

[Create Your Ritual]

OK.. so I can bribe YOU with cookies then?!?!? ;-)

[Create Your Ritual]

Or perhaps between the two of us we can figure it out. ;-)

[Create Your Ritual]

Actually I have seriously considered ... (deep breath) ... just opening the books and reading them.

[Create Your Ritual]

Capt_Uhura, I know I am pretty much just filling up your inbox right now, but I have a list of things I managed to compile for history and I just had to list them all. ;-)

 

K12 Human Odyssey Vol 1 & 2

Oxford's The Medieval & Early Modern World Set

History Odyssey Level 2 Middle Ages

The Usborne Viking World

Teaching Company's 'The Medieval World' DVD Set - Library Loan

All of the books associated with HO Level 2 -

Beowulf - Robert Nye

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights - Pyle

Tales from Shakespeare - Lamb

One Thousand and One Arabian Nights - McCaughrean

The Adventures of Robin Hood - Green

 

Plus three awesome books I found used on Amazon (Swimmermom's suggestion) -

 

Charlemagne - Richard Winston (1968 printing)

Constantinople - City on the Golden Horn (a Horizon Caravel Book)

The Vikings (A Horizon Caravel Book)

 

Plus I found Life in the Middle Ages - Schlessinger Media DVD Series from the library as well

 

Good Grief ... see what I mean. It got out of hand. ;-) I have a lot to do. But, mostly I would just need to put Oxford with K12HO at this point to get started and hopefully it's not to far off from HO Level 2 Middle Ages.

 

** Oh, I forgot Jackdaw's about Christopher Columbus and his voyage, and the one about the Silk Road.

[PenKase]

:bigear::bigear::bigear:

[8filltheheart]

Capt_Uhura, I know I am pretty much just filling up your inbox right now, but I have a list of things I managed to compile for history and I just had to list them all. ;-)

 

K12 Human Odyssey Vol 1 & 2

Oxford's The Medieval & Early Modern World Set

History Odyssey Level 2 Middle Ages

The Usborne Viking World

Teaching Company's 'The Medieval World' DVD Set - Library Loan

All of the books associated with HO Level 2 -

Beowulf - Robert Nye

The Story of King Arthur and His Knights - Pyle

Tales from Shakespeare - Lamb

One Thousand and One Arabian Nights - McCaughrean

The Adventures of Robin Hood - Green

 

Plus three awesome books I found used on Amazon (Swimmermom's suggestion) -

 

Charlemagne - Richard Winston (1968 printing)

Constantinople - City on the Golden Horn (a Horizon Caravel Book)

The Vikings (A Horizon Caravel Book)

 

Plus I found Life in the Middle Ages - Schlessinger Media DVD Series from the library as well

 

Good Grief ... see what I mean. It got out of hand. ;-) I have a lot to do. But, mostly I would just need to put Oxford with K12HO at this point to get started and hopefully it's not to far off from HO Level 2 Middle Ages.

 

** Oh, I forgot Jackdaw's about Christopher Columbus and his voyage, and the one about the Silk Road.

 

I do not know many of the titles that you have listed, so I writing this blind. But, I would eliminate the TC videos.....your kids are really too young to appreciate them. I would pick 1 spine......pick one and just put the rest away.

 

I would schedule the read alouds chronologically and would not try to line them up with the spine. I would pick 2-3 of the books that you think would appeal more to the 5th grader and not the 8 yo and that she is capable of reading and have her read those silently and read the others to both of them.

 

I would assign them each different writing assignments and projects, but perhaps a couple together (like designing a family coat of arms and writing a code of chivalry that you can post.)

 

I would spend the majority of my planning time skimming the materials and finding the areas that you want them to research further for their writing and projects.

[Capt_Uhura]

Sounds wonderful Sadonna! Now if I just had a cooperative student, I could probably get all of that done. :glare:

[PenKase]

I do not know many of the titles that you have listed, so I writing this blind. But, I would eliminate the TC videos.....your kids are really too young to appreciate them. I would pick 1 spine......pick one and just put the rest away.

 

I would schedule the read alouds chronologically and would not try to line them up with the spine. I would pick 2-3 of the books that you think would appeal more to the 5th grader and not the 8 yo and that she is capable of reading and have her read those silently and read the others to both of them.

 

I would assign them each different writing assignments and projects, but perhaps a couple together (like designing a family coat of arms and writing a code of chivalry that you can post.)

 

I would spend the majority of my planning time skimming the materials and

finding the areas that you want them to research further for their writing and

projects.

 

I appreciate your wisdom. I've been avoiding scheduling history because it feels like taming a monster. I've been struggling with giving myself permission to simplify as much as possible. Thank you for your advice.

[Create Your Ritual]

Well, this is mostly for dd10 who is a voracious reader, so the reading material won't be a problem. I am using SOTW with dd8, but I was thinking of trying to keep us on the same topic. ugh.

 

Thanks 8FillTheHeart for your suggestions. Also, I hadn't viewed the Teaching Co. DVD yet, so I didn't realize the extent of what it was teaching. Perhaps a little much for a 10 year old. ha

[swimmermom3]

SaDonna, tomorrow, I will send you what I have of the Medieval schedule. I think I may have said before that it is not as straight-forward as the Ancient schedule. 8FilltheHeart has some great suggestions and you may want to start off light with the history until all of your ducks are in a row, so to speak. Now, I did use Dorsey Armstrong's TC lectures for my son last year and they were fine, but he was in 7th grade. Your kids may enjoy watching the dvds of David Macaulay's Castle and Cathedral. Also, we loved anything by Monty Python member Terry Jones on the Middle Ages.

 

I can also tell you that on Literature for the Middle Ages, we ended up scaling back only because I had too many knight stories. But then, my son preferred stories of Saladin and Marco Polo over crusading knights. Your list didn't look too heavy.

 

As for spines, I often picked between K12 and the Oxford books, but didn't necessarily use both at one time. K12 offers the bigger picture, the thematic ideas that help kids remember the order of history and the whys, while the Oxford picks can flesh out some of the more interesting details that make the time come alive. Your Oxford books will also carry you into the third year of your studies.

 

I don't know if this helps as I have to keep reminding myself of the ages of your children.

[Create Your Ritual]

Thanks Swimmermom, I will need to look up Saladin, and I will check into the other DVDs you suggested. I know dd would also like to read about more women in history during this time. She has almost finished reading K12HO Vol 1 up until the point that we will begin our Middle Ages history in a few weeks. I can always have her read Vol II on her own and stick primarily with Oxford. I need to sit down and look at them again. My issue is that I didn't like the spine for HO Level 2, so now I have to try and substitute another in its place. She would be fairly self directed, and honestly I am just trying to keep up with her by reading SWBs high school level Ancients & Middle Ages books. I can't remember learning most of this! I find it incredibly interesting though, so I don't mind just diving into whatever we are enjoying at the moment. I am just needed to talk myself into NOT over scheduling, and find a starting point to work from with all that I have now.

[Capt_Uhura]

nt

Edited August 12, 2011 by Capt_Uhura

[8filltheheart]

A book that both of my dd's enjoyed last yr for the late MA/early Ren. is Anne of Brittany: Twice Queen of France

 

http://www.amazon.com/Twice-Queen-France-Anne-Brittany/dp/B0007E2A66/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313111320&sr=8-1

[swimmermom3]

Thanks Swimmermom, I will need to look up Saladin, and I will check into the other DVDs you suggested. I know dd would also like to read about more women in history during this time. She has almost finished reading K12HO Vol 1 up until the point that we will begin our Middle Ages history in a few weeks. I can always have her read Vol II on her own and stick primarily with Oxford. I need to sit down and look at them again. My issue is that I didn't like the spine for HO Level 2, so now I have to try and substitute another in its place. She would be fairly self directed, and honestly I am just trying to keep up with her by reading SWBs high school level Ancients & Middle Ages books. I can't remember learning most of this! I find it incredibly interesting though, so I don't mind just diving into whatever we are enjoying at the moment. I am just needed to talk myself into NOT over scheduling, and find a starting point to work from with all that I have now.

 

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! You do not need to get yet another spine for History Odyssey. You use Human Odyssey or the Oxford books. It is all good, I promise.:D

[Create Your Ritual]

Oh... ha ... I thought it was just another book about someone named Saladin. ;-) I don't know my Middle Ages quite yet. I promise, on my honor, NOT to get another spine for our history this year!!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

For the TC stuff what has worked well for is is cd instead of DVD and to play them in the car. On a long drive we can get through a set or two. But even little trips around town get a lot in.

 

You might want to note what track you're on. But it's ok if a kid gets bits and pieces. You will have gotten a great overview in passing.

 

But I agree that Thayer might be over the kids heads as a primary piece of instruction. And there is an opportunity cost to not using the time for legends and stories and descriptions of weapons and siege towers and armor and...

 

Have fun. This is a great historical period. Don't suck the life out of it.

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

I used some of the TC DVDs and CDs with my kids in the elementary years. Their level of interest often depended on the particular lecturer. It was a matter of clicking with a particular voice or speaking style at that age. If you want to supplement with TC you might consider the high school history courses. They are not as in depth but might appeal to younger kids.

[Kalmia]

One suggestion for Medieval women: Hildegard von Bingam, nun and composer, you can get cds of her music.

[swimmermom3]

SaDonna, I emailed you the Marco Polo information.:D

[Create Your Ritual]

Thank you. I got it!

[Create Your Ritual]

PenKase, you can pm me with you email if you would like a copy of what I came up with.

 

** I need to edit this and say thank you to Swimmermom for sharing what she had as well as Capt_Uhura. I really appreciate your help. ***

Edited August 13, 2011 by SaDonna

[Jabberwocky]

:) Just listening in. :)

[PenKase]

PenKase, you can pm me with you email if you would like a copy of what I came up with.

 

** I need to edit this and say thank you to Swimmermom for sharing what she had as well as Capt_Uhura. I really appreciate your help. ***

 

I've pm'd you. Thank you for the offer and thanks to all of you for sharing your knowledge and hard work.