Aspasia Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 What are your thoughts on how they compare? What made you choose one over the other? I'm trying to decide if I want to do a 4-year cycle or a 6-year cycle. Hmmmm.... Also, if you do a 6-year cycle, what do you use as your spine? I'm assuming I could still use SOTW (which I think I prefer over CHOW). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 If I could go back and do it again, I would do a 6 year history cycle. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to enjoy all the great resources I'd like to, and really dig into eras that fascinate us, and still keep on the 4 year cycle. I am currently re-evaluating, trying to fold all three kids into the same era with some sort of planned progression, and still slow down a little. I'd like to spend two years on the ancients, dwell on the Medieval period, and linger over the Renaissance a bit. I am not sure what I am going to do, but I like the slower pace a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 That's kind of what I was thinking. As I begin to plan out our first grade year, I'm seeing all the resources for the ancients, and wondering how I will satisfactorily fit it all in. But I do like the idea of studying everything three times instead of just two. Hmmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 That's kind of what I was thinking. As I begin to plan out our first grade year, I'm seeing all the resources for the ancients, and wondering how I will satisfactorily fit it all in. But I do like the idea of studying everything three times instead of just two. Hmmm... There are tons of great resources, but think of how many of them will be even better for a fifth grader. That is the joy of going through the cycle again in just four years. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 We started out this year planning to do a 4 year plan, but by January, we'd changed our minds. We moved onto www.simplycharlottemason.com and are doing module 4 instead. I like the pace of it. I like that we are using living books. I like that we can go to the library and dig deeper when we want to because we aren't pressed for time (as I was finding we were with the 4 year cycle). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 There are tons of great resources, but think of how many of them will be even better for a fifth grader. That is the joy of going through the cycle again in just four years. :) So true. But... We started out this year planning to do a 4 year plan, but by January, we'd changed our minds. We moved onto www.simplycharlottemason.com and are doing module 4 instead. I like the pace of it. I like that we are using living books. I like that we can go to the library and dig deeper when we want to because we aren't pressed for time (as I was finding we were with the 4 year cycle). ...hmmm... This is why I'm conflicted!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claluck Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Well I typed a reply and it disappeared or something. Anyways we do a 6 year rotation in the elementary years followed by a 4 year for highschool. We do use some SOTW within this so even though we do 6 years we still use that resource. This gives us enough time to play with living books. Frankly we dont usually remember what we learned in elementary years history, though it does sort of form a small layer there to work off of as we get older. I think when they are older they can read more and take more in than when younger. So it seems right to me to stretch out the younger and years and shorted the highschool ones. I have looked at the SCM guides and am tempted by them but just haven't done it yet. I wish I could really see it before I bought it. We mostly use SOTW and synge books right now as our spines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeritasMama Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Higher Up and Further In is a free CM curriculum that follows the 4 year history cycle, many people use SOTW with it. The home educator who designed it based it off of AO, WTM and SL I believe, but I could be wrong. The book lists and schedules are at www.charlottemasonhelp.com, and there is a yahoo forum as well. I think it is a great choice for CMers who want a more classical approach to history. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeritasMama Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I wanted to add, CHOW is used as a spine in HUFI, but as I said SOTW is used with it as well. If I remember correctly, they also cover US history simultaneously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfamily Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 We also follow the CM method of spending more time on each civilization. I've created Book Notes to go along with A Child's History of the World and Our Island Story as well. I have a large part of Year One ready and a large part of the Year Three Book Notes available too. I started these after my younger dd had already started both books, so the Book Notes for the later chapters were created to use with her and I then went back and began creating Book Notes for A Child's History of the World from the beginning to further complete Year One. I will complete all of the notes for both books in the near future. Just look under Before Year 1 and Years 1- 3 or Book Notes at A Mind in the Light, if you'd like to see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anabelneri Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 We're using a 6 year cycle, mostly broken down into the timeframes that AO uses. We use SOTW as a spine for the bulk of it. Reasons why: 1) Less rushing through time :) 2) More time to focus on areas we want to hit heavily, like U.S. history. For example, this year we're doing 1600-1800, so we got to spend a nice chunk of time in the American colonies & on the Revolution, while our friends using the 4 year cycle only spent a couple of weeks on it. 3) This one is entirely because of my child-spacing: I didn't want to do modern history with my elder in 4th grade because I would have a 4yo listening in on the whole thing. I'm just not comfortable discussing the atrocities of the 20th century with a preschooler. Using a 6 year cycle, the younger will be focusing on her own study of the ancients while the elder & I will be doing modern history. And then they'll be on the same time periods after that (half of 6th grade will be modern, the other 1/2 ancients). I would definitely suggest looking at your kids' spacing when making this decision. 4-year and 6-year cycles aren't the only options. Maybe an initial 3-year world history cycle with your elder, then a 1-year national history with your older 2, followed by 4-year cycles with all three? Or followed by a 6-year cycle with all three, and then take a year for civics/government and a year for current events? One way or another, though, it's nice to know what you're going to do with the youngers when they get to school age, and how you can easily work with your older child's already-existing studies. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 Higher Up and Further In is a free CM curriculum that follows the 4 year history cycle, many people use SOTW with it. The home educator who designed it based it off of AO, WTM and SL I believe, but I could be wrong. The book lists and schedules are at www.charlottemasonhelp.com, and there is a yahoo forum as well. I think it is a great choice for CMers who want a more classical approach to history. HTH! I have been hanging out on her website for a few days and I'm definitely intrigued. I think I'll go join the yahoo group. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 We use SCM history guides as well. I'm not totally sold on the idea of a 6 year cycle. I don't want to feel rushed, but I like the idea of covering everything 3 times. I'm hoping to cover the first 3 levels in two years, which would give us a 5 year cycle. I'm also not sure how this will work out with HS credits, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I get to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto2Cs Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 We tried for a four year cycle the first time around, didn't happen for many reasons. Now, ds in in 6th grade, dd is in 4th. We're working, since January, through the Ancients, using K12's Human Odyssey. We'll get up TO ancient Greece before summer break. In the fall, we'll pick up with ancient Greece and go through medieval times. The following year will be the Renaissance through the Age of Exploration, roughly. Then on from there. I think this will take us 4-5 years total, folding in American history with K12's American Odyssey. A little more relaxed than the strict 4 year cycle, but still not at . Of course, I'm a renegade and like doing this MY way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 SOTW is our spine. I group the readings by region and fill in with living books, hands on activities and put it all in a lapbook. It'll be a 6 year rotation most likely. We spent a couple of years in the Ancients. Here's an example of what we did for China: Key: UBWH=Usborne Book of World History SOTW=Story of the World BMWH=Blackline Maps of World History UBWH-Great Civilization in the East 74-75 Writing and Inventions 76-77 SOTW-Huang Di & the Yellow River Valley 66-67 BMWH-Copy map of Yellow River Valley The Shang Dynasty Starts 70-71 Farming 73-75 Pictograms 71-72 The Pet Dragon by Nieman Copy Chinese characters from Pet Dragon Calligraphy 239-242 Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi The Greatest Treasure by Demi Dragon’s Tale by Demi Made in China by Williams-Printing 29 Make potato block prints The Magic Boat by Demi Make paper in Art Class SOTW-Warring States 243-244 The First Emperor & The Great Wall 244-248 The Great Wall of China by Fisher BMWH-Copy map of Mongolia, The Great Wall, and China SOTW-The First Emperor’s Grave 248-250 The Emperor’s Silent Army by O’Connor The Story of Kites by Compestine Make a kite Kites by Demi Crouching Tiger by Compestine The Chi-Lin Purse by Fang Selection from Confucius’ Analects 7 Chinese Brothers by Mahy The Cricket’s Cage by Czernecki The Dragon New Year by Bouchard A Time of Golden Dragons by Zhang Make Dragon’s head from Fiesta! China 21 Color Chinese Zodiac Symbols Bringing in the New Year by Lin The Stonecutter by Demi Lon Po Po by Young The Jade Horse by Tompert Make felt fish sachet from Fiesta! China 21 Article about this year’s Dragon Boat Festival Coloring page of Dragon Boat Copy selections of poetry of Qu Yuan China’s Bravest Girl by Chin Ling-Li and the Phoenix Fairy by Greene The Hunter by Casanova Fortune Cookies by Lin Lo Ming Moves a Mountain by Lobel Grandfather Tang’s Story by Tompert Make tangrams artwork Set up silkworm habitat The Empress and the Silkworm by Hong Lifecycle of the Silkworm by Fridell Red Butterfly: How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk Out of China by Noyes Make Silkworm Lifecycle Chart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 SOTW is our spine. I group the readings by region and fill in with living books, hands on activities and put it all in a lapbook. It'll be a 6 year rotation most likely. We spent a couple of years in the Ancients. Here's an example of what we did for China: Key: UBWH=Usborne Book of World History SOTW=Story of the World BMWH=Blackline Maps of World History UBWH-Great Civilization in the East 74-75 Writing and Inventions 76-77 SOTW-Huang Di & the Yellow River Valley 66-67 BMWH-Copy map of Yellow River Valley The Shang Dynasty Starts 70-71 Farming 73-75 Pictograms 71-72 The Pet Dragon by Nieman Copy Chinese characters from Pet Dragon Calligraphy 239-242 Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi The Greatest Treasure by Demi Dragon’s Tale by Demi Made in China by Williams-Printing 29 Make potato block prints The Magic Boat by Demi Make paper in Art Class SOTW-Warring States 243-244 The First Emperor & The Great Wall 244-248 The Great Wall of China by Fisher BMWH-Copy map of Mongolia, The Great Wall, and China SOTW-The First Emperor’s Grave 248-250 The Emperor’s Silent Army by O’Connor The Story of Kites by Compestine Make a kite Kites by Demi Crouching Tiger by Compestine The Chi-Lin Purse by Fang Selection from Confucius’ Analects 7 Chinese Brothers by Mahy The Cricket’s Cage by Czernecki The Dragon New Year by Bouchard A Time of Golden Dragons by Zhang Make Dragon’s head from Fiesta! China 21 Color Chinese Zodiac Symbols Bringing in the New Year by Lin The Stonecutter by Demi Lon Po Po by Young The Jade Horse by Tompert Make felt fish sachet from Fiesta! China 21 Article about this year’s Dragon Boat Festival Coloring page of Dragon Boat Copy selections of poetry of Qu Yuan China’s Bravest Girl by Chin Ling-Li and the Phoenix Fairy by Greene The Hunter by Casanova Fortune Cookies by Lin Lo Ming Moves a Mountain by Lobel Grandfather Tang’s Story by Tompert Make tangrams artwork Set up silkworm habitat The Empress and the Silkworm by Hong Lifecycle of the Silkworm by Fridell Red Butterfly: How a Princess Smuggled the Secret of Silk Out of China by Noyes Make Silkworm Lifecycle Chart Holy Moses....I am a SLACKER!!! That really is a beautiful list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Keeper Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I fell off the 4 year wagon a few years ago; too much too fast. Yes, I know it is supposed to be an overview, but I came to strongly dislike the pace I had to keep up in order to fit in all of SoTW in 4 years. Hats off to those who do so and not go crazy. SoTW is so full of interesting people and places, I hated rushing through it with my young ones. I'm not really on a six year cycle, since I also do two stream history (seperate American and world history), and that makes it harder to pin me down. ;) Here's what I have done/am doing/am planning... K--Ancient history--Genesis is our spine, and I add in some bunny trails with the surrounding cultures: i.e. Abraham and Mesopotamia (ziggurats, cuneiform, etc.; Joseph in Egypt (we wallow in Ancient Egypt for a while). American history is informal (picture books, coloring pages, explanations of holidays, landmarks, etc.) 1st -- Ancient history--Creation through Rome. I like CHOW as the spine for this year, with some SoTW 1 chapters added in. American history is still very informal, using beginning readers (like Sam the Minuteman) and giving a slightly deeper explanations of holidays, election days, etc. 2nd --first half (or so) of SoTW 2, and finish up the last half of CHOW. For American history we colored our way through coloring pages of all the presidents, and used our Eyewitness President book, our president Fandex, library books, to find and write down two or three interesting things about each one. This all made a nice little notebook by the end of the year. 3rd --2nd half of SoTW 2, and began a more focused study of American history using Artner's Readers Guide to American History (this is scheduled out for 3rd-8th in the first edition of LCC). We also did a States and Captials project all year (coloring pages on each state, memorized the captials--this was our copywork all year--, and memorized the Preamble. 4th --first half of SoTW 3, and Artner's for American history. 5th --second half of SoTW 3, and Artner's again. 6th -- a mish-mash of SL's core F, and Charlotte Mason Help's Year 5; Artner's for American history. 7th -- first half of SoTW 4, and Artner's for American hstory. 8th -- second half of SoTW 4, and last unit of Artner's. high school -- 4 year WTM Great Books cycle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 Wow! AZ and Zoo Keeper, thank you so much for sharing your plans. Awesome! It sounds like I probably will slow things down, I just don't know how much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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