trlt Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 My dd will be beginning her first grade curriculum in May and I am trying to decide on a history or social studies curriculum for her. Last year we used MBtP but I don't want to continue it because it just wasn't a good fit for her. I know a lot of families use SoTW and/or other curriculum that start with Ancients and progresses but I don't know if it will be good for my dd at this point in time. My concern is that dd is sensitive and if there is anything harsh she is just not ready for that and would have a total meltdown. My other concern is that I just don't know if she would comprehend the topics enough at this point. I want her to get something out of what I teach and I'm not sure she would right now. Does anyone else not use history for first grade? I was thinking of just doing geography and social studies but I cannot find a basic social studies type of curriculum (secular). Should I just go with history starting with Ancients and just really gloss over things I know she can't handle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thescrappyhomeschooler Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We did SOTW 1 when my boys were in K & 1. We just listened the CDs, since both kids were in ps at the time. I don't recall anything too disturbing. We also used this and this geography books when kids were in 1st and 2nd and I was homeschooling. You could do something like this (the ones I used are out of print, but there are similar things) for geography and then just find picture books to read about various historical topics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChandlerMom Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I started history at that age with a 6mo unit on prehistory (big bang, dinos, evolution, geology). It was *supposed* to be 6 weeks, but we really enjoyed it and kept at it. Also, I didn't feel like my 6yo was ready to focus to make human history worthwhile, if that makes sense. Since her 3rd grade sis had already been thru ancients I didn't want to start it until they could both get something out of it, kwim? That 6mo or so really made a difference in dd's attention and tolerance (she doesn't cover her eyes during slightly scary parts of G rated movies now, either). So it can be a maturity thing, Now, we've started with SOTW as a read-aloud and a mix of other resources. I don't use the AG from SOTW, but pieces here and there from lots of programs/sources. DD loves it. At this age, they aren't going to remember everything, but if you focus on the progression -- from wandering to settling to farmers to villages to cities....that will stick. As with the projects (making ziggurats and stuff), even if they forget the names and relevance. It primes them for the next time they see it. As to sensitivity - I think ancients is less threatening than modern history. It's so different from how we live. Modern history is more "real" and is full of wars, slavery, etc. Sure, those things existed back then, but it is easier to gloss over and just not as....real somehow, so I find it is easier on the younger, sensitive kids. Plus death tolls in modern wars is measured in millions, but in ancients it was usually measured in hundreds or thousands. YMMV tho! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I have been eagerly looking forward to starting SOTW but decided to hold off for a little while and give my girls some time to work on their attention spans. So we started a fun prehistory unit and are having SO MUCH fun with it. There are countless resources you can tie into it and so many neat documentaries that are visually stunning so they can hold even my 3yr old's attention. I've posted about some of our activities here and there are still plenty to come. I have also heard of people who start a small US history unit before beginning SotW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Wizards Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We're doing Adventures in America for 1st this year and DD is enjoying it. We've added in the Liberty's Kids videos which have been a huge hit. Here's the link to Adventures. http://www.elementalhistory.com/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I didn't do history with my oldest in first grade. We started with ancients this year in second. My next oldest will be in first grade next year and I don't think I'll start the history cycle with him until fifth grade, other than maybe a little tagging along with his sister. We'll be reading American history biographies next year instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunD Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) I would do either prehistory or some American history. I think Evan-Moor's Beginning Geography and an American history book, something like The American Story: 100 True Tales from American History (skip the more intense stories in this particular one), would be easy to pull together. ETA: I also really like Lesson Pathways. That link will take you to the history section. Year K is pretty much a straight people/communities social studies type curriculum. It does end with some biographical units of people like George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr, etc. Even though it's called K, it would be very comparable to what the local PS covers in first grade. Year 1 is a little meatier, but it does cover some issues like slavery, some of the Pilgrims starved, etc. But a really cool thing about Lesson Pathways is that you can pick and choose lessons. Pick some from K, 1, and 2 if you feel like it. Just browse and see which topics you want to cover and which you want to skip ... it links to free online resources to teach each lesson. If you sign up (free), you can "assign" the lessons in the order you want to cover them, and it will save that for you. Edited January 10, 2012 by SunD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I did ancient history, but if I could do it over, I wouldn't. I'd focus on either geography or US history, something that she may have already heard of (4th of July, Thanksgiving, etc.) or will give her a peg for the future, like Egypt is on the map. Galloping the Globe is fairly easy to use secularly, or you can use Elemental History, which focuses on the US. What actually worked out best for us was dropping a formal curriculum, just reading books about selected topics and historical stories, like Fifty Famous Stories Retold and picture books. Ariel has really enjoyed Horrible Histories, the live action version, although some of the clips were too much for her to begin with, like the Angry Aztecs, and the Stupid Deaths sketches are still not her favorite, she's learned a lot and applies it outside of "history". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay3fer Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I recommend you get a copy of What Your First Grader Needs to Know out of the library - or buy one - and just stick with its recommendations. I've found it has a decent mix of US and World history/geography (which is not that helpful to me, because I'm not in the US), but I enjoy reading this series and just keeping the books around as kind of a "checklist" to make sure I'm covering the basics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyz Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 We also started with prehistory, and then moved on to History Odyssey (which incorporates SOTW), and it worked out very well. My son is also sensitive, but if you read fairy tales or fables, it's actually very similar in content as far as disturbing ideas or imagery. I'm glad we started when we did. I don't expect my son to focus and remember everything we read or learned, but it really helped him to learn how to sit and listen and work on narration and it's just the whole process of getting used to "doing lessons". This made it much easier as we moved along through the year. He'll have two more years in the future with Ancient Times and that's where I expect he'll retain the most information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trlt Posted January 10, 2012 Author Share Posted January 10, 2012 I appreciate all your responses! I now have ideas and things to look at, thank you very much!! My dd will not listen to fairy tales or fables or any books that have anything she deems scary in it. She doesn't watch movies either. Lady and the Tramp was too scary for her and she had wanted to watch it. She cannot watch any Disney movie, at all. She wanted to watch Beethoven's 4th Movie because she loves dogs so much but she couldn't even get through that! I just need to find something that is gentle enough for her to begin with and go on from there. It really bums me out because I absolutely love history so I want to do so much with her but it just isn't something I feel she is ready for! My son is also sensitive, but if you read fairy tales or fables, it's actually very similar in content as far as disturbing ideas or imagery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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