How do you handle US History withing the 4-year cycle?

[Forgiven]

I'm having a hard time figuring out how to make sure my kids learn US History in depth instead of just an overview. We started homeschooling last year, so we're in our second year, and we just started SOTW and MoH this year, which means we're doing Ancients. I love the way we're studying history in chronological order, but I also want to make sure that my kids get time to study US History alone, without having to worry about what's going on elsewhere in the world.

 

I know that in high school, they'll have to have US History, so how does this work? If we're doing the 4-year cycle, how do we focus on US history? Is most of the book that covers US History on the US, or do you go over everything briefly and then go more in depth with the US portions?

 

I was thinking of taking my dd's 8th grade and turning it into a one year study of US History. She'll be doing SOTW 2 in 5th grade, SOTW 3 in 6th grade, and then SOTW 4 in 7th grade. If we take her 8th grade and do US History, we would then be able to start Ancients in 9th and do a normal high school cycle. I have looked in TWTM and like how history is set up for high school, where the kids go more in depth via living books and primary sources. I know that she'll get an adequate US History that way--or would she? I'm just so confused.

 

I do know that I want my kids to have a great understanding of how our country was formed before they hit high school.

 

So, what do you all do? Do you just follow SOTW and do as is and not worry about US History as its own subject? Do you take a year, as I'm thinking about doing and do US History and then go right back into the cycle? Do you do the normal cycle and then supplement more for the 3rd and 4th books of SOTW to boost up the US History? Is there another way that I'm not thinking about?

 

I'd love to hear what you all have to say, and if I've missed a great thread about this very thing, please link to it. I've been doing queries for the past three days trying to find threads about this, but have had no luck.

 

Thanks!

[Lara in Colo]

I sort of approach it like this--- The 4 year cycle is fine with SOTW and the amount of AMerican history they provide for the Elem and middles grades, but for high school, I want more.

I am doing a year of American in the 9th grade, then the rest of the cycle (light review in American history areas) and a full semester (or more) on civics and govt.

[Dahliarw]

I'm using SOTW now (elementary grades) and for the last two years I'm adding extra US History into it (as in going more in depth then SOTW does when it comes to US History). So I'll be supplementing SOTW with History of US next year. It'll mean we do more history over the year (as in more time and readings), but I think US history is important (being a history major) and I want my kids exposed to it sooner.

[Reflections]

Your plan of doing US history for 8th is fine. Your right it will be covered in the later years and probably you'll do an American Gov't and Economics class in high school anyway too. My plan for high school though is this (but mind, I reserve the right to change my mind anytime :) ) :

 

9th Ancients to Early Middle

10th Middle Middle to about 1850

11th American History in depth

12th Modern World History

 

Some where in there I plan on the half credit of American Gov't - I just don't know when yet - 11th or 12th.

[Lara in Colo]

Your plan of doing US history for 8th is fine. Your right it will be covered in the later years and probably you'll do an American Gov't and Economics class in high school anyway too. My plan for high school though is this (but mind, I reserve the right to change my mind anytime :) ) :

 

9th Ancients to Early Middle

10th Middle Middle to about 1850

11th American History in depth

12th Modern World History

 

Some where in there I plan on the half credit of American Gov't - I just don't know when yet - 11th or 12th.

 

 

Yeah, I am toying with the combo of American govt/civics alongside philosophy to highlight the theories of the creation of our govt.

[Forgiven]

Thanks, everyone. I made a typo on the title of this thread--sorry for that. It should be within, not withing.

 

That aside, I appreciate your responses. I know I'll figure out what will work best for us eventually. Seeing what you all do for US History is very helpful. I had a great foundation with US History since I grew up in Massachusetts. Since we lived where a lot of the Revolutionary war began, it was hard not to learn it. I just feel like my kids don't get it--well, enough of it--and I want them to have a better understanding of it all before they're in high school.

 

Thanks a lot!

[Coco_Clark]

I'm planning on stretching the four year cycle into five years. I'm not sure how it compares directly with the SOTW volumes, although I'm spot on with the first book. My reasoning is that I can get thru history once in grades 1-5, and a second time in grades 6-10, leaving the last two years for special interest, starting over, or our local college program. Of course this has to be taken with a GIANT grain of salt as I'm only planning my 1st grade year at the moment :) My divisions are (tentatively):

 

Ancients-(earliest people up thru the fall of Rome) roughly 1,000 years

Middle Ages- (up thru the fall of Constantinople) roughly 1,000 years

Renaissance- (up to right before the American Revolution) roughly 300 years

New World-( up to the Civil War) roughly roughly 100 years

Modern- (up to present day) roughly 100 years

 

[km123175]

We're incorporating lots of American history as it fits in with the chronological cycle of history (more than 4 years to get through the 4-year cycle). We're using SL core D and E with the end of SOTW 2, and continuing through our reading of SOTW 3 and 4. I'm not working hard to line them up - just working through both "sets" of history studies as it comes and we'll make connections as relevant.

[Reflections]

 

 

Yeah, I am toying with the combo of American govt/civics alongside philosophy to highlight the theories of the creation of our govt.

 

 

What a GREAT idea!! I hadn't thought of that! I'll have to add that into my plan because I really wanted to do philosophy but didn't know when either... Thanks!

[Candid]

Take a good look at how Tapestry of Grace handles this. They do a great job covering US history in a really solid way, having government as an add on that you begin studying in ancients but continue as you study US government. You don't have to use them just look at their weekly titles and what they are teaching to get a sense of how they do things.

 

One thing that will leap out if you are using the WTM four year cycle is theirs is different. The cover up until the fall of Rome in the first year, up until 1800 in the next year and then the next two centuries (plus 10 more years) in the following two years. They say because the most recent two centuries have more influence on us we should study them in more depth.

[Another Lynn]

I have noticed that some of my kids don't know obvious American History "stuff." I'm thinking about keeping an American History read aloud going at all times even if it doesn't match up with our current year of the history cycle. For next fall, I may use MP's American Studies because it has "200 questions" which we can use to review as we do it.

[regentrude]

We study US history concurrently with the World history of the relevant periods, so basically mostly during the last two years.

In that time, we split it half-and half.

[mlbuchina]

 

 

Yeah, I am toying with the combo of American govt/civics alongside philosophy to highlight the theories of the creation of our govt.

 

This is such a great idea. What materials would you use for that? Do you have an idea of the curricula you would use?

 

I have noticed that some of my kids don't know obvious American History "stuff." I'm thinking about keeping an American History read aloud going at all times even if it doesn't match up with our current year of the history cycle. For next fall, I may use MP's American Studies because it has "200 questions" which we can use to review as we do it.

 

I like the idea of having a read aloud going. Do you have any titles you've picked out?

[Lara in Colo]

I don't know yet---- I still have a couple of years.

 

Here are some websites I found fairly quickly by entering " philosophy for formation of American Gvmt" in Google

 

http://regentsprep.org/regents/ushisgov/themes/government/foundation.htm

http://www.articlemyriad.com/influence-enlightenment-formation-united-states/

 

Locke,

Rousseau

Montesquieu.

Machiavelli (The Prince)

[cavscout96]

GREAT thread!