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6th grade history via TWTM


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We do history via TWTM. We are finishing our first history rotation and starting through a second time. We do use the Kingfisher (orange/red cover). Ds11 is learning to outline. Dd13 is a pro at outlining. We do a modified TWTM program using SOTW. The large, binder style notebooks didn't work for us.

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We do history via TWTM. We are finishing our first history rotation and starting through a second time. We do use the Kingfisher (orange/red cover). Ds11 is learning to outline. Dd13 is a pro at outlining. We do a modified TWTM program using SOTW. The large, binder style notebooks didn't work for us.

 

RWJ, would you mind giving an overview of your modifications? What does work for you? The big notebook isn't working for us either.

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We are doing it w/Kingfisher for 5th grade, and will move up to 6th the same way next year, just making the outlines more detailed. But otherwise the process will be the same as this year:

 

Day 1:Read KHE, do an outline, add dates to timeline book, pick a topic for further research.

Day 2: Find area in Geography Coloring Book, read about and color in. Read about specific topic

Day 3: Finish reading on topic and begin a summary

Day 4: Finish summary and write final draft if needed.

 

We have paired this with Classical House of Learning Lit, and it works out great. She also hears SOTW read alongs as I read them aloud to younger. And we watch documentaries together and look at art and do art projects from the time period.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

RWJ, would you mind giving an overview of your modifications? What does work for you? The big notebook isn't working for us either.

 

I apologize for taking so long to reply. I'm not a daily visitor.

 

The big notebooks were too much to keep track of for my crew. Finding the right notebook, locating the right tab, filing and organizing became too time consuming. I loved the idea, but it just didn't fit our needs.

 

After the first year we began using 70 page spiral notebooks. Each child picks a color at the beginning of the year and sticks with that color all year. In fact, they've stuck with the same colors for four years. When they finish one they move to the next. All work is done in the notebooks and nothing (in theory, and usually in fact) gets ripped out so nothing gets lost. If we are doing final drafts, letters, etc. we have "fancy paper" for that. I like that at a glance we can see what we've been doing over time.I also like that there's only one book per kid to keep track of.

 

When we do history we grabTimelines of the World, The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, the globe, SOTW and the AG. We locate the places we will be talking about on the globe. If the AG includes a map we take a look at that too. We read the selection aloud and answer the questions in the AG and discuss the selection. Sometimes we pick at activity from the AG, sometimes we don't. This is totally interest led. More often than not, we end up making food related to the area studied.

 

After we read and answer the questions, my dd8 writes a summary sentence into her notebook for the selection. Getting the main idea is something we all discuss. Sometimes she illustrates it, sometimes she doesn't. When my ds11 was her age he always did the illustration. That was his favorite part. We take a look at the timeline for the period we are studying so we can understand where this selection comes in relation to the other things we've talked about. My dd13 & ds11 use the Kingfisher to outline the corresponding selection. Ds11 does main idea outlining. Dd13 does a full outline.

 

I try to be sure that I have a good selection of the recommended books from the AG. I usually assign reading from the corresponding literature to my dc. Our library has an excellent interlibrary loan. I suppliment the reading with movies when possible and we watch those in the evenings instead of regular t.v.

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Thanks for your description!

 

SWB's history notebook as detailed in WTM is much more than a file cabinet.

 

How so? I mean they learn to decide which category their summary should fit into. It is an organization training activity. I get that. And it really is. We use the exact tabs described in WTM, and sometimes dd has to stop and think. Is this description of their written language an "invention" or a type of "daily living?" She has to use judgement and logic. But other than that, the notebook is just a file. The work and studying make up the real history program. If the organization of the work is a problem, I would just snap it in order chronologically as in the grammar stage.

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