CC-ers, what do you like to use for history (esp. 3rd grade) along with Cycle 2?

[profmom]

There are so many options! I don't want to be overwhelmed during the year, but I don't want to just memorize facts without some background info. We did Ancient History Pockets this year and dd loved them!!

 

Here are some of the options I'm considering -- or a combination of options! (See, I need your help!)

 

 

1.) Use the free info at Half a Hundred Acre to read the Everything You Need to Know about History (and Science) pages that correlate to the memory work.

 

2.) SOTW 2 (and don't worry that CC goes into modern times in 2nd semester)

 

3.) Sonlight Core C World History part 2, probably 4-day plan (after the fall of Rome - 1914, which is closer to the time period covered in CC Cycle 2)

 

4.) CC Lapbook at Wisdom and Righteousness (labooklets for all the memory work -- not sure if they come pre-printed or we print them)

 

5.) CC go-along plan from Sola Gratia (Links for go-along activities, videos, worksheets, etc. for each subject and week)

 

6.) Something else and/or a combination of the above

 

 

What's your vote and why? =D I'm in my 11th or 12th year of homeschooling (does pre-K count?), but, for some reason, I'm having trouble with a workable plan for this. This will be for my youngest's 3rd grade. CC wasn't around, at least in my area, when my older dc were this young. I'd appreciate your help!

[Paula in MS]

We use CC as an enrichment only. My dd will be entering the 6th grade, and we will be using Veritas Self Paced Middle Ages. I chose this based on the fact that it was time to study the Middle Ages not on the CC cycle. She will also read through SOTW 2. My advice has always been to use the timeline cards as a spine instead of the history sentences. The history sentences jump around too much if you want to study history chronologically.

[stm4him]

We use CC as our total history program while CC is in session and then we plan to use SOTW in the summer for grades 1-3. If I were going to use a program during the year, that is the one I would use in the lower grades. I think SOTW 2 correlates well with it (at least it matches the first semester). I will have my child do SOTW 4 after Cycle 2 since she will be in 4th grade next year and it matches well with the second semester. She will also do VP's Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation by herself hopefully. I have written in my signature that we do self-paced history but we haven't signed up yet. That may be another great choice, and if I were doing that I'd do MARR.

 

The way we use CC is that we do two history events per day. We read about it, discuss it, and then they write down the title and dates, illustrate it, and write a summary. Next year I may have my oldest make a keyword outline first before turning it into a paragraph or so but we'll see. It depends on how long that takes her to do. I also bought a notebook that is a blank timeline spiral bound from Miller Pads and Paper and we will begin marking the dates on there. We also locate the places on a globe or world map. So three days a week we use the Acts and Facts timeline cards for this and one of the days we do one timeline card and the history highlights. We use the Everything You Need to Know book or history encyclopedias to choose a picture to illustrate in this case, but the other days they have to attempt to draw what is on the card. They do the timeline in a sketch notebook like the ones CC sells and the history highlights they do in a different one so that they can keep all their history sentences together and the timeline together. The history notebook will go through all three cycles but the timeline one they get a new one each year (actually, it takes two notebooks to get all the cards in).

 

At first the kids were excited to do this and really enjoyed it. Then they got frustrated and their pictures were not their best effort. I persevered with this daily assignment, and I found over time they settled in and wanted to make it their best work. Their drawing skills have improved dramatically and they are really able to "see" the artwork. It is wonderful for picture study. They are retaining the material sooo much better and our discussions are really rich. They are making amazing connections between cultures and times because of the way CC overlaps the information over time. I am amazed how much history they learned this year. We watched the Mankind series together on the History Channel and they were calling out people and places before the narrator would say them based on the clues he gave. It was incredible. And our discussions this year have been very deep and interesting. I really think that during the year that is all one needs to do.

 

Someone might feel that it is redundant to redo this every year but I don't think so at all. How easily we forget things! I think doing this over and over for years will provide a very solid base of history knowledge and that filling in with some wonderful living books is plenty.......

[profmom]

My advice has always been to use the timeline cards as a spine instead of the history sentences. The history sentences jump around too much if you want to study history chronologically.

 

I agree that it's difficult to match a curriculum or a reading plan to the history sentences. I think this is where I've gotten discouraged in the past. Even trying to correlate SOTW with the history sentences could have you reading a few pages one week and then several chapters the next!

 

How do you use the timeline cards as your spine?

 

Thanks for your input!

[profmom]

That may be another great choice, and if I were doing that I'd do MARR.

 

The way we use CC is that we do two history events per day. We read about it, discuss it, and then they write down the title and dates, illustrate it, and write a summary.

 

Thank you for your detailed response! I've never heard of anyone doing that! Interesting! I will look into MARR and think about the way you use the timeline and history cards. Thanks!

[5Millers]

I'm enjoying this thread! This will be our second time through CC's Cycle 2. My oldest is moving on to Challenge A & self paced Omni 1. My other two will be in 5th and 2nd. The last time we did this cycle, I paired it with SL's Core C. We also placed all of our history sentences in our SL "Book of Time". It was a great match for us that year as my girls were in 1st & 3rd grades. This time, we are using the VP MARR with my older navigating and brother tagging along. I love Sonlight, and this next year will be our first without a Core, but their next pass through this time period is too advanced. I am also excited to see the VP take on MARR since I have loved their OTAE with my youngest this year. They manage to explain amazingly deep biblical understanding to young students in a way that relates to them.

A group of parents did a Wisdom & Righteousness Cycle 1 lap book with the younger siblings of Essentials students this past year. They are beautiful and very well done. It was a bit beyond my 1st grader's interest level as the year went on, but might work better for a 3rd grader. I tutor Essentials, so was not in the room when they worked on them.

I also ordered the "Everything...History" book since I have enjoyed the science one this year. I'm reading the posts on Halfahundredacrewood as well. There are so many great options. The hard job is forcing myself not to try to incorporate every good program or idea!

[mrs.m]

I give a very brief overview of the history sentence either using a corresponding timeline card(s) and reading the History Highlights from CC. We still read through Story of the World at our own pace but don't try to match it up. I have found that my oldest son memorizes better if he has a picture of what happened. My youngest is still a parrot.

 

Over the summer we are going to read the backs of the timeline cards to get a quick overview and work on keyword outlining on a few chosen cards.

[profmom]

Thank you, guys! I appreciate your help! I'm leaning towards Sonlight Core C and giving a little background info for history & science with history highlights & the Everything books. The lapbook looks great, but I just don't know if I can add it.

[mhaddon]

I already had plans for the next two years before one began in our area (I thought it would be a few more years). My kids are young too. We plan on using MFW adventures.

[mrs.m]

Thank you, guys! I appreciate your help! I'm leaning towards Sonlight Core C and giving a little background info for history & science with history highlights & the Everything books. The lapbook looks great, but I just don't know if I can add it.

 

 

To me, the lapbook was just another way to review the memorywork and not really a source for deeper study. We didn't benefit from it but we aren't really lapbook types. ;)

[mhaddon]

I love the two resources listed, I may add them into the day for fun. The half hundered was too much for my younger kids this year. When we get back to cycle 1 I may actually end up using TOG and moving at it's pace and using CC as memory work to help with the pegs.

[H_Household]

If you look at the history sentences for Cycle 2...they are Middle Ages only for the first half and then they go to Wars of more modern times. I always get frustrated trying to follow another curriculum with it since CC history sentences are not in chronological order. So this year, I realized that I need to base it off of our new wonderful Timeline....so we are coordinating the timeline with Mystery of History Vol 2/Story of the World Vol 2. I think that will finally help me feel like they go together!

[fourisenough]

We have already completed SOTW Volumes 1 & 2 and will begin CC Foundations and Essentials this fall for the first time. I will proceed with SOTW Volume 3, but will also pull in relevant sections of the other volumes when appropriate. I plan to primarily use the CC cards to give context to the timeline and history sentences, but have also printed the Half a Hundred Acre's charts & purchased the Everything there is to know...books.

 

I think this summer I want to do a high-level overview of American History for my daughter using either the Everything... book or Don't Know Much About American History, which I also own.