m0mmaBuck Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I'm trying to keep things simple since DH and I co-teach. I was thinking about doing the Ancients (history) and Biology (science) this year and would love to be able to combine my kids (at least somewhat) for the two subjects. I realize their ages will make this a stretch but if I beef up the elder's reading, writing projects, etc., can it be done? History: I would use SOTWI for our spine and then have DS read from Kingfisher, work on his time line, and read more advanced lit/history selections. Science: I have YSC kits and have DS10 do additional reading on each topic. I was thinking of going toward Elemental Science but that of course gives me two spines because of the age discrepancy. Any other ideas that might make this work? Or am I doomed to separate curriculums for all subject at this point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.Gregg Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I have a 1st and 5th grader as well. We do History together (SOTW 1) and then 5th grader is also studing US history ( it aligns with our public school and since we aren't 100% sure where we will be for middle school). We are studing Science together. Biology (RS4k) Chem (level 1 for 5th with Kogs, Pre level 1 for 1st ) and then whatever unit studies I come up with. We do seasonal and themed mini units. Like for a week in September (week of talk like a pirate) we are doing pirates. DD1 is reading a more advanced book and well discuss. DD2 will work on pirate words etc. Art, music studies. Nature walks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2queens&1princenmyhouse Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I have a 4yo that feels the need to be in the middle of everything, a 9yo and an 11yo (4th and 6th grades). We're doing SOTW1 and Apologia Astronomy together. We read the spines aloud, then the olders do narrations, timelines, and journal for science. All three do the projects together and for extra reading, I read little man picture books and the girls have their age appropriate books for reading. Obviously, I'm not expecting the 4yo to have mastery of the topics, only exposure. I have to say that I was impressed when he told Grandma that the Earth was 93 million miles from the sun and if we were closer it would be too hot and we would die. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 I hadn't thought about adding Am. History into the mix. Do you find your child has difficulty popping back and forth between the Egyptians and the Pilgrims? We used RS4K Chemistry Level I last year and it was OK. I felt like it was a little over DD6 and a bit beneath DS10 but at least they were getting science done (which is why I bought it in the 1st place). Do you have any experience with their Biology Level I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.Gregg Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I don't have experience with their biology other than looking over the text. As for Switching back and forth through history we keep a timeline now and that helps but also at 10yrs old kids usually have a better concept of time, the difference between 1880 vs 504 bc. Also my daughter already switches between prehistoric history and pioneers fine. We did the first half of Sotw 1 and Lewis Clark, pioneers this past school year and both girls seemed to have done fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 I don't have experience with their biology other than looking over the text. As for Switching back and forth through history we keep a timeline now and that helps but also at 10yrs old kids usually have a better concept of time, the difference between 1880 vs 504 bc. Also my daughter already switches between prehistoric history and pioneers fine. We did the first half of Sotw 1 and Lewis Clark, pioneers this past school year and both girls seemed to have done fine. OK, thanks! My kids do that with readalouds so why not curriculum? I just need to make this work and my plans need to be simple because DH and I co-teach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecclecticmum Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 History: What about Tapestry of Grace instead? this incorporates all grade levels. If you want SOTW, part of my plan is: Rotation 1(grade 1): SOTW, colouring sheets, simple crafts & projects, stories (myths, "stories" of the people, graphic novels Rotation 2(grade 5):SOTW, focus on map work, independant project, independant reading focusing more on non-fiction sources So I can see its reasonably done doing both. Read SOTW aloud, then read "stories" to 1st grader whilst they "colour" or do some crafts, have 5th grader do some independant non-fiction reading, mapwork and assign a project for the week. Science: Get the lapbooking stuff from elemental science. Possibly get Grammar stage biology, and assign some independant reading to 5th grader. Maybe add AHA! Science into the mix for the 5th grader (you can "assign" tasks in advance, and just have them do it independantly and its only $15 a year). The grammar stage elemental science actually lists items (like lapbooking and Kingfisher) to beef it up for an older student. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I hadn't thought about adding Am. History into the mix. Do you find your child has difficulty popping back and forth between the Egyptians and the Pilgrims? We used RS4K Chemistry Level I last year and it was OK. I felt like it was a little over DD6 and a bit beneath DS10 but at least they were getting science done (which is why I bought it in the 1st place). Do you have any experience with their Biology Level I? I do. I used Chemistry level 1 with my 3rd grader, and liked it a lot. I thought it was spot-on, level-wise. Although it is advertised for 4-6th grade, I think it is way too light for 6th. Biology level 1 I am much less impressed with. It is *really* light, and the labs are mostly not really labs, the way the chem labs were. Some of them are things like labelling the parts of cells on a diagram, or raising a caterpillar and tadpole, stuff like that rather than real hands-on experiments where you don't actually know what the result will be. Anyway, since we have it, we use it to supplement our BFSU biology studies. Again, it might be ok for a very gentle intro to biology for 1-3 grade, but I don't see it as a 4-6th grade level biology program. JMHO, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0mmaBuck Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) History: What about Tapestry of Grace instead? this incorporates all grade levels.If you want SOTW, part of my plan is: Rotation 1(grade 1): SOTW, colouring sheets, simple crafts & projects, stories (myths, "stories" of the people, graphic novels Rotation 2(grade 5):SOTW, focus on map work, independant project, independant reading focusing more on non-fiction sources So I can see its reasonably done doing both. Read SOTW aloud, then read "stories" to 1st grader whilst they "colour" or do some crafts, have 5th grader do some independant non-fiction reading, mapwork and assign a project for the week. Science: Get the lapbooking stuff from elemental science. Possibly get Grammar stage biology, and assign some independant reading to 5th grader. Maybe add AHA! Science into the mix for the 5th grader (you can "assign" tasks in advance, and just have them do it independantly and its only $15 a year). The grammar stage elemental science actually lists items (like lapbooking and Kingfisher) to beef it up for an older student. I want to keep SOTW since I already have it. I'm trying to keep costs down this year. I think what you suggested sounds great! Thanks! Re: Elemental Science, I forgot about Lapbooking.... I've never done it. Maybe it's because it rhymes with scrapbooking.... The sheer utterance of the word sends me screaming into the night. I may need tu think of something else for science. Thank you for reminding me! I do. I used Chemistry level 1 with my 3rd grader, and liked it a lot. I thought it was spot-on, level-wise. Although it is advertised for 4-6th grade, I think it is way too light for 6th. Biology level 1 I am much less impressed with. It is *really* light, and the labs are mostly not really labs, the way the chem labs were. Some of them are things like labelling the parts of cells on a diagram, or raising a caterpillar and tadpole, stuff like that rather than real hands-on experiments where you don't actually know what the result will be. Anyway, since we have it, we use it to supplement our BFSU biology studies. Again, it might be ok for a very gentle intro to biology for 1-3 grade, but I don't see it as a 4-6th grade level biology program. JMHO, though. What do you suggest for Bio? I need something relatively open and go because of my scheduling issues. Otherwise it will never get done. Edited July 15, 2012 by m0mmaBuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I'm not saying don't use RS4K - just be aware of its limitations. I'm using BFSU as a spine, with extra videos/readings and some single-topic free resources from Ellen McHenry - Botany and Human Anatomy. BFSU isn't exactly open and go, though. Others have mentioned Elemental Science, which looks pretty good on the website; I've not used it myself but had been considering it before discovering BFSU. Best of luck whatever you decide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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