frugalmama Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Working on plans for next year, thinking about history for 2nd grade. DD is a young 2nd - she will turn 6 about 2 weeks after we start back. This will be our 1st year doing history, as well as my 1st year writing my own plans instead of going with the set ones. I was a history major in college, so I want DD to have a good foundation in history. I've looked at a few history programs and have yet to find one I really like, so that is an issue too. I don't like SOTW and it seems everyone uses that now. We're already doing Geography and Map Skills for second grade - using a program called Tour The Continents that is a unit study approach. I'm debating doing both history and geography at the same time - not sure if for this grade just geography is enough or not. What do you do for second grade history? What do you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloggermom Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 We use the Veritas Press Self-Paced history courses. Old Testament Ancient Egypt is what they recommend for 2nd grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momsuz123 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Well, my second grader loves SOTW, so I can't help with that one, but I have been spending a lot of time looking at some blogs from some people who have FAR more experience than me. If you go to my blog, I have a bunch of links of other ones. I believe it is Guest Hollow that wrote her entire own history for her kids. It is all a free downloadable. That might be a good starting point. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 We used Oak Meadow's second grade syllabus. It had good world history stories for that age, although it wasn't exactly chronological. Ariel also watched a lot of Horrible Histories, which I think she actually retained more from than our formal curriculum. Oh, and I added Fifty Famous Stories Retold and a couple of other older history books. We got partway through Our Island Story and a collection of British traditional stories by Geraldine McCaughrean. I've found that Ariel much prefers a narrative to a text, so we tend to flesh things out a bit. Your could look at Galore Park's Junior History 1, which covers most of what SOTW1 does, but is by a different author. It might work as a spine, which you could flesh out if you choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 We just finished History Odyssey or my younger guy, and we loved it. Although it suggests SOTW as one resource, you could easily switch that out with more library books, the Oxford history book, or anything you prefer; it's pretty simple to just follow the topic outline in the program, and they do a nice job of giving you a menu of reading, mapping, and activity choices for each topic, along with a suggested time schedule (which you are of course free to tweak!). The have a list of suggested books with each unit, and many were available in our library. It's both organized and open-and-go when I need it to be, yet flexible and not at all boxed in when I want to branch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 We just finished History Odyssey or my younger guy, and we loved it. Although it suggests SOTW as one resource, you could easily switch that out with more library books, the Oxford history book, or anything you prefer; it's pretty simple to just follow the topic outline in the program, and they do a nice job of giving you a menu of reading, mapping, and activity choices for each topic, along with a suggested time schedule (which you are of course free to tweak!). The have a list of suggested books with each unit, and many were available in our library. It's both organized and open-and-go when I need it to be, yet flexible and not at all boxed in when I want to branch out. I'm really eyeing History Odyssey - I really really like it, but the books {even just the main ones} are way way out of our price range. SOTW is about the only one on their list we can afford really. I may have to swallow my history pride and use SOTW as a base - while I don't care for it I think it might work for my DD and it meets my financial criteria. Could you do HO with just the SOTW book, supplementing each subject with random on topic books from the library? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrettW Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 We use K12 History and think it's great! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahtar Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 We do our own thing. I use SOTW as a reference book, as well as books from the library and our massive personal library. I look at lesson plans online for ideas if I run dry, and we use a lot of history.com videos, brainpop, biography.com, etc. For second grade (which is this current year for us), we spent the first semester in ancient history, picking up where we left off last year (and I don't honestly remember where that was) and ending with the fall of the Roman Empire. (So, 2nd semester of 1st grade and 1st semester of 2nd grade, we covered ancient history from the beginning of time through the end of the Romans.) Now second semester, we are focusing on American History, starting with a review of the Constitution and covering the War of 1812 and probably continuing through Reconstruction. I like SOTW, but I don't personally find it to be enough on its own, and plus I prefer a strong American history content, so we spend half of every year on the US, and half of every year on the rest of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 For second next year I debated big time between Sonlight and Biblioplan. I think BP is winning out, but I LOVE the idea of SL so you never know ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aludlam Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 We just finished a two year history tour using all sorts of picture books and read alouds read chronologically. Last week we started with CHOW and so far we are all really liking. It's SO easy to read. We are doing a chapter a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gramlingk Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 We really enjoy Winter Promise. It is unit study based, has lots of activities and includes lots of literature. It is very well organized and doesn't really require much preparation. So, if you really like doing it yourself this may be a draw back?? I really don't have anything negative to say about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekfk Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 You can use encyclopedias like the Kingfisher and Usborne books as a curriculum. You could use the Usborne Book of World History and something like The Kingfisher Atlas of World History. You can supplement with other resources like Brainpop. You may also be able to find free videos through watchknow.org. Of course, check your library for books that relate to whatever you are covering. If you can't find any books, check for additional information on the web. Sometimes I copy and paste things I find on the web and rewrite them to make them a bit more child friendly. Then I print them. It is a bit of effort but you only need to do it for sections you can't find other resources for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Like Sarahtar, I have been doing world history for the first half of the school year and American history for the second half. I read through a world history overview book as my main spine. My favorites so far are A Child's History of the World (Hillyer) and Builders of the Old World. I usually start with the world history book in the summer so we can get it done sometime around January-February. Along with the world history overview book, we read historical fiction and biographies about various time periods. I can find most of these titles at the library. Sources for finding good titles are the Epicardia website, Veritas Press, and (though I don't yet have it but plan to get it this year) All Through the Ages. For the second half of the year, we read a similar type of American history overview book. I really like Eggleston's A First Book in American History, along with another one of his books called Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans. The latter title has been one of the favorites in our house. I am reading Mara Pratt's American History Stories this year. I like them so far, but the one about the Civil War required a lot of editing. (These books were written in the early 1900's and have not been revised, but only reprinted.) We also add in corresponding historical fiction and biographies which cover different American history time periods. To supplement above, I have the kids do three to four lapbooks per year on subjects such as Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece, Middle Ages, Explorers, American Revolution, etc. We also are keeping a very basic timeline. In addition, we do memory work of such things like the an exerpt from the Declaration of Independence, Preamble of the Constitution, etc. We spend only about five minutes per day on this, but we have gotten a surprising amount memorized. This doesn't follow the WTM history cycles, but I prefer teaching the overview first, and then going more specific later. I am very happy with this so far. Since you were a history major, you may be happiest putting together your own plan for teaching history, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I'm really eyeing History Odyssey - I really really like it, but the books {even just the main ones} are way way out of our price range. SOTW is about the only one on their list we can afford really. I may have to swallow my history pride and use SOTW as a base - while I don't care for it I think it might work for my DD and it meets my financial criteria. Could you do HO with just the SOTW book, supplementing each subject with random on topic books from the library? Have you checked the sale and swap boards here, and the used books on Amazon for the Usborne book? You should be able to scare up a pretty sweet deal that way, and many people sell books in very good condition. CHOW is not necessary. The rest you can get from the library, or keep scanning second-hand sale boards to get when you can. You can do it well with SZoTW or a substitute, Usborne, and fill in from the library. You can skip History Pockets if you won't use them. The 'Neighbors' books have cute craft and activities; you can get them or sub in your own ideas or skip crafts as suits your child. Those also ave some text, but you can read library books. If you can score the Ancient Rhymes books cheap, get them. They are very cute. Do not pay the huge prices they are often listed for though. Yes, you can do HO on a used SOTW, a used Usborne, and library books and do fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Do what you want! Seriously. When will you ever get the chance again? Your children will be in Junior High before you know it (ask me how I know). Dive into whatever it is you and your child are interested in exploring. There are no rules. When my kids were that age, I bought curriculum and we wound up reading a bazillion books. Guess what they remember? Reading a bazillion great books. Books they still take off the shelf and read again and again. Oh, and they remember eating. Anything that had to do with making a fun food. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 We use K12 History and think it's great! :) Did you use it for 1st too? I can't find any information out about it - please tell me more? What is the actual title of the books for 1st and 2nd? Really I'm looking for something that gives a balanced, non-christian biased, diverse view of world history. I like the reader approach from Sonlight, but not the texts they use. I like the narrative approach from SOTW and the audio book option, but not the inconsistencies or the non-diverse religious view. I like a book with activities and hands on, but if need be I can create my own. And something with either a lesson plan already made to draw it all together, or at least a general guidance for me as to how to plan it into our days. That's not too much to ask, is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.