SOTW for middle school-has anyone done this??

[pjssully]

One more question, thought...

My boys are 11 and I am still not completely happy with my history line up for the fall.  I was wondering if anyone uses SOTW for middle school kids, and if so, how to beef it up.  I would be finishing up ancients-we were at chapter 26 and I just let them listen to the tapes in addition to our other history curriculum.  How could I use JUST SOTW for 11 year olds?? 

Any advice??

pam

[KarenNC]

I know Sonlight at least used to schedule SOTW over 2 years (2 vols a year) for middle school. You could check their course for ideas.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Only anti-advice.  My dd 10 asked to stop using SOTW (4) for 6th grade.  She felt like it was too episodic and disconnected for where she's at right now, and I agreed with her.  

[Amy M]

I have a friend who has 6 children, and uses SOTW the way SWB recommends in TWTM for middle schoolers, having them read from Kingfisher in addition to SOTW. My impression was that SOTW was written for grades 1-8. Then add the literature you want to go with the history.

[Abeille]

We used SOTW last year (6th), along with the books from History Odyssey Medieval Level II and parts of Human Odyssey. History is our favorite subject here, and ds likes using different kinds of books. We often used SOTW as an introduction to a topic/event, then followed it with the more in-depth treatment from our other books. Not sure how much we'll use SOTW this year for 7th though, as we have a lot of great books to cover. It may just be the audiobooks.

[Debbie]

It's our first year homeschooling, and we are using SOTW1. I have 5th and 6th graders. I have a huge list of library books to get to go along with it (I got the list on here from someone who listed them on her blog, but I am on my iPad, I will try to post links later). I also have found two lists of movies/documentaries one is on TWTM website, the other was just a list a guy made I guess. I will try to share resources later when I get to my computer!

[Pat in MI]

Yep, I plan to use SOTW 2 and start 3 with my 7th grader this coming year.  I am going to add in Kingfisher, maybe have her do the outlining as described in TWTM.  She will have readers, narrations both oral and written, the map work, and whichever projects she would like to do.  

[Tess in the Burbs]

We are doing it now.  We have the Kingfisher and Usborne encyclopedias and that is extra reading and I went ahead and got SL Core G schedule for the readers and read alouds(I put together my own list for SOTW 1 but it was so much work, I just got a schedule already done).  We are doing the second half of Core G this year(SOTW 2) but just the history stuff, not the LA or Bible.  We may do Core H in 1 year though....but open to spreading it over 2 years.  Honestly, my kids like something easy to read to get the idea and then don't mind the harder books.  

[Debbie]

Here are some links I'm using:

 

SOTW1 and Netflix movie list: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&key=0AumgWD14ZCPSdGNRQVVjeVotbjcwVlByV3pPS2xJRlE&hl=en_US&gid=0

SOTW1 TWTM Movie List: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/historical-movies-and-documentaries-to-supplement-the-story-of-the-world-volume-one/

Resources: http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/SOTWmenu.htm

 

And someone on here had a link to their blog in their siggy at the bottom and they had an amazing booklist, but now I can't find the post and apparently didn't bookmark it :( I wish I had, it was a great booklist.  I also have a website for reviews/quizzes, but it's not pulling up (maybe because I am not at home..I'm using the microsoft store wifi..)but here is the address, hopefully it will work for you: www.bradenbryce.com/homeschool/

[Erica in OR]

We're doing this too (3rd, 6th, and 8th graders here) and are just wrapping up the second full cycle of SOTW this year. We do what others have suggested, with Kingfisher, making sure I have a big stack of the supplementary readings available for additional assigned reading, and had the kids take the lead with creating cards for the timeline and selecting/setting up projects from the activity book.

 

Erica in OR

[Stuart]

Glad I'm not the only one! Phew! 

[IrishMum]

I used SOTW wit my boys when they were in grade 4/5 and 6/7. I added in lots of extra reading, here is my list, and we loved it! We are now doing SOTW 2 and my oldest is 8th grade.

[Murrayshire]

My oldest used SOTW 1-2 for 7th grade....I originally used the Sonlight Core G schedule, but we dropped it and did our own thing and TWTM method.  She made her History Notebook and filled it with outlines, reports, maps, activities(from the SOTW Activity Guide).....we used SL's reader & read-aloud list amongst others.  She filled our wall timeline with historical figures & watched these videos from the SOTW Video Blog.

 

I plan to use SOTW Ancients with my 2nd & 5th grader this year.  My 5th grader will listen with brother on Day1 to the SOTW audio, mapwork, some coloring & drawing pages (b/c she loves that), wall timeline, Usborne Encyclopedia (for list of facts), Day 2 will be reading with me Human Odyssey (outlining it), Day 3 work on summary from outline (not every week), activities from AG and/or history videos.  Discovery Education has a numerous amount of history videos for kids and they are grouped in ages.  I found a ton of videos that would mesh nicely with the SOTW chapters.  We also will have a reader for each week, history related!  We have loved & enjoyed SOTW and will do so for quite awhile! 

 

[Debbie]

I used SOTW wit my boys when they were in grade 4/5 and 6/7. I added in lots of extra reading, here is my list, and we loved it! We are now doing SOTW 2 and my oldest is 8th grade.

This is the awesome list I mentioned in my post that I didn't bookmark! Time to bookmark it :). Thank you for sharing it, it really is an awesome list!

[IrishMum]

This is the awesome list I mentioned in my post that I didn't bookmark! Time to bookmark it :). Thank you for sharing it, it really is an awesome list!

 

Haha Debbie! So glad you like it. We really loved doing ancients, and I love books so we might have overdone it a little ;)

[Annabel Lee]

How could I use JUST SOTW for 11 year olds?? 

 

Beef it up per the instructions in the logic stage of TWTM.  Somewhere in there, it says if you still have grammar age students using SOTW, just have the logic stage students join in the main lesson and then do the WTM logic stage history assignments on the SOTW chapter topic.  You could also use it in addition to another program (scheduled alongside it, such as Hakim's History of US, MOH, etc.) or use a program that schedules SOTW such as Biblioplan or Sonlight.  I think History Odyssey uses SOTW as well.  Some of these programs rearrange the order of the SOTW chapters for various reasons.

[Walking-Iris]

We used SOTW last year (6th), along with the books from History Odyssey Medieval Level II and parts of Human Odyssey. History is our favorite subject here, and ds likes using different kinds of books. We often used SOTW as an introduction to a topic/event, then followed it with the more in-depth treatment from our other books. Not sure how much we'll use SOTW this year for 7th though, as we have a lot of great books to cover. It may just be the audiobooks.

 

 

This is my plan. We started with SOTW (and a WTM history rotation) later than usual. My oldest did Ancients last year. This year I have him doing American History only per his request (Hakim with OUP guides), while my youngest does prehistory/ancients. (SOTW/HO)

 

Then they both will do medieval together. My plan was to use SOTW, History Odyssey and the K12 Human Odyssey books. 

 

It seems backwards to do Am history and then go back to Medieval, but oh well....that's how it's going to work best for us. 

[Kareni]

I had my daughter read a SOTW book over the course of a week as a review during 7th and 8th grades. That is to say, we used an abundance of other materials and SOTW was read whenever she ended a time segment that corresponded to a book. In general, my daughter found the books too juvenile for her taste.

 

In seventh grade my daughter covered the time period up to 500AD.  She began homeschooling that year, and I planned a three year sweep through world history.  She used the following materials:

 

 

Selections from The Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World by Charlotte Evans et al.

 

The Young People's Story of Our Heritage: The Ancient World, Pre-history to 500BC by V. M. Hillyer and E. G. Huey

 

The Young People's Story of Our Heritage: The Ancient World, 500BC to 500AD by V. M. Hillyer and E. G. Huey

 

A Bone from a Dry Sea by Peter Dickinson

 

Cave of the Moving Shadows by Thomas Milstead

 

Spirit on the Wall by Ann O'Neal Garcia

 

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

 

Pharaoh's Daughter by Julius Lester

 

Video:  David Macaulay's World of Ancient Engineering:   Pyramid

 

Black Ships before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff

 

Dateline: Troy by Paul Fleischman

 

Inside the Walls of Troy by Clemence McClaren 

 

The Curse of King Tut by Patricia Netzley

 

The Golden Fleece by Padraic Colum

 

Escape from Egypt by Sonia Levitin

 

Troy by Adele Geras   

 

The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff

 

The Cat of Bubastes by G. A. Henty

 

City of Gold and Other Stories from the Old Testament by Peter Dickinson

 

Gods and Goddesses by John Malam

 

The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James Cross Giblin

 

Selections from  Cultural Atlas for Young People:  Ancient Greece by Anton Powell

 

Selections from Then and Now by Stefania and Dominic Perring

 

Selections from Usborne Book of Famous Lives

 

Selections from  Heroines by Rebecca Hazell

 

Selections from A Picturesque Tale of Progress, Volume 2 by Olive Beaupre Miller

 

The Story of the World, History for the Classical Child: Ancient Times by Susan W. Bauer

 

Niko: Sculptor's Apprentice by Isabelle Lawrence

 

How Would You Survive as an Ancient Greek? by Fiona Macdonald

 

Calliope Magazine: Taharqo

 

Calliope Magazine: Ancient Celts

 

Alexander the Great by Peter Chrisp

 

Video: Alexander the Great (The History Makers)

 

Men of Athens by Olivia Coolidge

 

Selections from Mathematicians are People, Too by Luetta and Wilbert Reimer

 

Science in Ancient Greece by Kathlyn Gay

 

Selections from A Day in Old Athens by William S. Davis

 

Your Travel Guide to Ancient Greece by Nancy Day

 

The Librarian who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky

 

The Emperor's Silent Army by Jane O'Connor

 

Selections from Ancient Japan by J. E. Kidder

 

Hannibal's Elephants by Alfred Powers

 

The Story of the Romans by H. A. Guerber

 

Galen: My Life in Imperial Rome by Marissa Moss

 

Caesar's Gallic War by Olivia Coolidge

 

Selections from Ancient Inventions by Peter James and Nick Thorpe

 

Video:  Anthony and Cleopatra (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1974)

 

Videos:  I, Claudius (Volumes 1-7)

 

Augustus Caesar's World by Genevieve Foster

 

City by David Macaulay

 

The Wadjet Eye by Jill Rubalcaba

 

Video:  David Macaulay's World of Ancient Engineering:   Roman City

 

Song for a Dark Queen by Rosemary Sutcliff

 

Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfield

 

Video:  Ancient Mysteries:  Pompeii, Buried Alive

 

The Capricorn Bracelet by Rosemary Sutcliff

 

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

 

Selections from Wonders of Ancient Chinese Science by Robert Silverberg

 

The White Stag by Kate Seredy

 

Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges

 

Selections from The Dark Ages by Tony Gregory

 

Lady Ch'iao Kuo:  Warrior of the South by Laurence Yep

 

The Dancing Bear by Peter Dickinson

 

Video:  Africa (Ancient Civilizations for Children)

 

The Cartoon History of the Universe II, From the Springtime of China to the Fall of Rome by Larry Gonick

Regards,
Kareni

[Murrayshire]

Great list Kareni!  Thank you for adding it here and I'll be bookmarking that one, too!

[Kareni]

Great list Kareni!  Thank you for adding it here and I'll be bookmarking that one, too!

 

You're quite welcome.

 

One note, we're quite liberal so some of the videos on the list as well as a few books (i.e., Gonick's the Cartoon History ...) might not suit all families.   I enlisted my husband to watch all of the videos with my daughter.  It gave them something to enjoy together and also involved my husband in homeschooling.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[bksposito]

We are on our 2nd cycle of SOTW.  My kids are 6th and 8th grade this fall and we'll be using V. 4.  Here is how we do it:

I read the chapter out loud then ask them the questions in the activity book.

We do the map and any activities they want from activity book.  At this point they don't do many of the activities, since they seem to be mostly for younger kids. 

Then they outline the pages recommended in the KHE. 

On Fridays they take the test from the test book. 

In addition we use Joy Hakim's Story of US.  Sometimes we use Jackdaw Portfolios. 

We read any books we can find that are related to the history. 

It feels pretty comprehensive to me...I think this totally works for middle school students. 

:)

Kristin

[Targhee]

I haven't, but I'm about to. My kids will be in 1st, 3rd, and 6th. The two youngers will use the SOTW activity guide (we are doing volume 2 this year) with its activities and lit suggestions. My oldest will use Classical House of Learning's free lit guides that correlate with SOTW 2 (the logic stage curriculum). Also, she will do outlining and summarizing from KIng Fisher and Usborne. I also have HO Middle Ages level 2, but its too hard to correlate with SOTW (you have to do HO in order of lessons, but it jumps around chronologically). If I weren't doing older and younger kids I might just do HO. We will also do some great audiobooks, read aloud books, documentaries, and field trips (we even have a medieval village an hours drive away!).

[saraha]

posting so I can find later

[ondreeuh]

I correlated chapters from Glencoe's textbook Journey Across Time. I don't require any work from it, just ask him to read it. He is doing the SOTW tests too (open book). I scheduled the Rick Riordan books that cover Egypt and Greek mythology, and The Bronze Bow (Rome), Rainbow People (China), and a few other books to round it out. No assignments for those books either. We do a separate lit program. He loves history and I am not worried about how much he masters - history is light/low stress in this house compared to our other subjects.

[Debbie]

I haven't, but I'm about to. My kids will be in 1st, 3rd, and 6th. The two youngers will use the SOTW activity guide (we are doing volume 2 this year) with its activities and lit suggestions. My oldest will use Classical House of Learning's free lit guides that correlate with SOTW 2 (the logic stage curriculum). Also, she will do outlining and summarizing from KIng Fisher and Usborne. I also have HO Middle Ages level 2, but its too hard to correlate with SOTW (you have to do HO in order of lessons, but it jumps around chronologically). If I weren't doing older and younger kids I might just do HO. We will also do some great audiobooks, read aloud books, documentaries, and field trips (we even have a medieval village an hours drive away!).

 

I was just looking at Classical House of Learning's lit guide for Ancients-which would be SOTW 1, has anyone kind of worked these two things together?  I had planned to use some of the books already, that are listed on the Classical House, do you know if I could just pull the lessons for those weeks and not use all of the weeks/outline from Classical House?

[loftmama]

IrishMum, great list! Will you make another one for SOTW2?   :thumbup: Because that's what we're doing this year, too. :D

 

[IrishMum]

IrishMum, great list! Will you make another one for SOTW2?   :thumbup: Because that's what we're doing this year, too. :D

 

Thanks Loftmama, I have one for SOTW 2 but I haven't been as orginised with it. I am getting books as I see them, and adding to my list. I will post what I have especially for you!!

[Targhee]

I was just looking at Classical House of Learning's lit guide for Ancients-which would be SOTW 1, has anyone kind of worked these two things together? I had planned to use some of the books already, that are listed on the Classical House, do you know if I could just pull the lessons for those weeks and not use all of the weeks/outline from Classical House?

I haven't done this - maybe someone else will chime in. But from what I can see* it looks like you can :-)

 

Another idea is to simply use the lit you've planned, and add in outlining the corresponding selections from the encyclopedias, and doing written narration a for all SOTW readings (without the prompt q's).

 

I guess you just decide what your intended outcome is. Familiar with this period of history? Memorized names and dates? Ability to learn from an encyclopedia? Familiar with classic lit from the period? Ability to write from an outline or summary? And use those intended learning outcomes to guide your approach to history this year.

 

Best wishes!

[AngelBee]

We do with TOG.

[Debbie]

I haven't done this - maybe someone else will chime in. But from what I can see* it looks like you can :-)

 

Another idea is to simply use the lit you've planned, and add in outlining the corresponding selections from the encyclopedias, and doing written narration a for all SOTW readings (without the prompt q's).

 

I guess you just decide what your intended outcome is. Familiar with this period of history? Memorized names and dates? Ability to learn from an encyclopedia? Familiar with classic lit from the period? Ability to write from an outline or summary? And use those intended learning outcomes to guide your approach to history this year.

 

Best wishes!

This is all new to me so having some ideas of outcomes is great. And then I know what my point of teaching it is if I have the outline of intended outcomes. These are some great outcome ideas, thank you!

[behome]

I was just looking at Classical House of Learning's lit guide for Ancients-which would be SOTW 1, has anyone kind of worked these two things together? I had planned to use some of the books already, that are listed on the Classical House, do you know if I could just pull the lessons for those weeks and not use all of the weeks/outline from Classical House?

 

We used CHoLL last year and it was the best addition to our day in years! I had a 1st, 2nd and 5th grader and reading time was everyone's favorite. Including mine! They can certainly be used as individual book guides.And I love that she corresponds them with SOTW chapters. We did Modern times last year and it kept us all moving on pace. I printed out the complete download before the year began so we could just pull out the next narration page after every reading time and go with it! I would recommend printing it double sided at least for the teachers manual. It's A LOT of pages. This year we have Ancients and I know it will be different for my 6th grader because the book list is independent. But I love that we again keep our pace together. And then we still can make necessary adjustments thought the year if needed. We skipped some books altogether last year and there was no harm done, you just do the next one. Honestly, for all this work I can't believe she has made it free! And as a side note, I've always found it hard to work a 42 chapter book in 36 weeks. Her schedule has them pre-doubled up so that it works effortlessly. Love that!

[kristi26]

We are using SOTW3 this year and ODS is 13, in 8th grade.  He'll also be reading History of US, biographies, extra Historical Fiction, and a bunch of other things...I have a link to it in my siggy. :)

[dee67p]

This is what we've been doing with history http://expeditionswithg3.blogspot.com/search/label/Logic%20Stage%20History

 

Kids about same age, although mine will "read" lots along with the used kindles.

[thebacabunch]

Yes! WIth the Kingfisher encyclopedia, grade level appropriate literature, mapwork and outlining, and a special emphasis on American History for vol 3 and 4.  I also add in Hakims story of US and lots of documentaries to bring it to the older level.  My kids would revolt if they had to give up the sotw audiobooks.  We listen to them over and over in the car. 

[happycc]

So I don;t have the wherewithal to sit and schedule the lit reading according to our history reading. You think it would be ok to just get a bunch of lit books for that time period-Middle Ages, put them in a box or on their reading shelf and tell the kids to go for it during the free reading time at nights?

 

That has been pretty much what we have been doing. I am lucky that I have pretty willing kids who are open to reading a lot of things. I just put stuff on their shelf and they pick from it. 

 

I use the CHOLL list or list on the STOW Activity Guide or whatever I find at the library. 

 

Plus I add in the nonfiction books as well in the group of books on the shelf. 

 

[brookspr]

That's a great reading list to go along with SOTW!  Thanks for posting.  I've been looking for additional reading to use with Sonlight Core G and SOTW and this is perfect!  There are also many good books (most for young readers grade 4 and below) in the SOTW activity guide, which I also have.  My son is in 6th grade, but he enjoys reading the easier books when he is in the car or we are out and about.  The more challenging ones he likes to read at home where he can hunker down on the comfy sofa and really get engrossed in the story.  

[macmom28]

following this so I can find it later!  great thread!

[momto2Cs]

We're listening to SOTW on audio book, a chapter or two 2-3 days a week. The kids then expand with Landmark/World Landmark books, documentaries, movies, historical fiction, etc., as they feel the desire.

 

My rough plan is to get through all four SOTW books between this year and next. And I think I might add in a chapter or two a day from Hakim's Concise History of US, again with the plan of getting through all four volumes over two years. Hmmm....

[idnib]

Wow, that Classical House of Learning material is amazing.  :hurray:

[clemota]

I am so glad to see so many people using SOTW in middle school!  I am using SOTW1 with a 1st and 5th grader - both are new to SOTW, and both enjoy the stories.  We listen to the audiobook lesson while coloring (yes, my 5th grader enjoys the coloring sheets as well), then I ask the review questions and we do mapwork.   For each chapter (not lesson) I have the elder give me a list of 5-7 facts from KFE, and the younger a simple narration from the UWH.  I'm hoping to eventually move onto notetaking/summaries for the elder. 

 

I pull TONS of books from our local library system - mostly suggestions from SOTW, CHOLL, All Through The Ages, and various other websites/blogs like Irishmum's.  Everything from picture books to novels to non-fiction to activity books.  I do not require any extra review on these.  I have two voracious readers, so they are out in a history book basket for free-reading time or whenever.  We are not huge history fans here, but this has been a good combination for us with all of the historical fiction or history- influenced modern fiction.  The Horrible Histories and similar style books ("You Wouldn't Want to Be...") go over well here, too. 

[sagira]

Ds10 is doing SOTW 4 this year with many other books on Modern History. I bought the coloring sheets, as ds asked for them. In fact, this is the best coloring I have seen of him so far! I may have to get a Dover coloring book for next year's ancient history studies.

[sassenach]

I'm using SOTW with a 5th grader (and 4th grader), and I intend on continuing with it through middle school.  I'm planning on adding lessons from Stanford, or similar lessons.  I have my eyes out for project based plans that will fold in nicely (maybe Shelagh Gallagher's materials?).

[Ripley]

So I don;t have the wherewithal to sit and schedule the lit reading according to our history reading. You think it would be ok to just get a bunch of lit books for that time period-Middle Ages, put them in a box or on their reading shelf and tell the kids to go for it during the free reading time at nights?

 

That has been pretty much what we have been doing. I am lucky that I have pretty willing kids who are open to reading a lot of things. I just put stuff on their shelf and they pick from it. 

 

I use the CHOLL list or list on the STOW Activity Guide or whatever I find at the library. 

 

Plus I add in the nonfiction books as well in the group of books on the shelf. 

 

This is what I do, and it seems to work well for (my) willing-to-readers. 

 

I have one bookshelf per SOTW era and each bookshelf is then shelved in chronological order from top left to bottom right.  I also have a Please Do Not Reshelve Books sign and a basket for them to drop their finished books because I am that ridiculous about my organizational system LOL.  These shelves house all related-era books, including literature.  I do want them to learn to distinguish between actual-source material and fiction, so each book has a color coded sticker on the inside cover.  Just one of those small, neon garage sale stickers that marks it as one or the other.

[dee67p]

Adding the extra reading (Guerber from Heritage History for e-readers), fiction period stories and notebook pages along with an outline I prepare (http://expeditionswithg3.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-chapter-outline.html) with more or less detail for completion while we drive 30 minutes and listen to each chapter, makes SOTW3 doable for us. I try to add more detailed map work too.  I hope to do a period type literature course for history in high school and add the timeline component that they do completely on their own.  Timelines just did not got done in grammar and logic stage, and I know it's important.

[Guest]

I have. What I did:

 

dh typed up the setion questions for Son to write answers out.

 

Son wrote a summary for each section

 

mapwork

{you can use Knowledge Quest Maps with the lesson plans for older kids. They have sets lined up with SOTW at the link below.}

 

http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/Integration-Guides.html

 

Kingfisher reading and outlining

 

Extra reading from the listed suggestions and his own browsing. Narrations for these.

 

Any projects he wanted

 

Timeline dates drawn and hung on the timeline. He liked drawing his own scenes for each date. Very cute.

 

Quiz taken for each chapter

[KellieK]

Thank you for the suggestion about the maps Paradox, those look great. My children were just asking to do more map work and this will be perfect. The whole outline of your son's history looks great.

[kalphs]

Yes!
Here is how the schedule looks for this year:

 

SOTW

Day 1

3:00-3:30 Read chapter section; Narration/Outline

3:30-4:00 Copy work

4:00-4:30 UILE, UBW, HO (Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia, Usborne Book of World History, Human Odyssey);

Taking notes on information which interests the student.

4:30-5:00 Research for topic notebook page.

 

Day 2
3:00-3:30 Read chapter section; Narration/Outline

3:30-4:00 Copy work

4:00-4:30 Coloring page (Listen to Bulfinch’s Mythology The Age of Fable audio)

 

Day 3

3:00-3:30 Read chapter section; Narration/Outline

3:30-4:00 Copy work

4:00-4:30 Map work; MCG (Maps, Charts and Graphs)
 

Day 4

3:00-3:30 Read chapter section; Narration/Outline

3:30-4:00 Copy work

4:00-4:30 Test

4:30-5:00 Research for topic notebook page/Add topic notebook page to notebook.

 

Literature selections from Beautiful Feet Books and All Through the Ages by Christine Field

 

Documentaries, movies, field trips and art projects relating to the time period are done weekly, either on flex day, evenings or the weekend.

 

 

[DaffodilDreams]

Following so I don't lose this topic. (On my iPad and the follow button at the top isn't working for me today). Lots of great info here. Thanks so much for sharing!

 

ETA: well, now the follow button appears to be working. Go figure!

[brownie]

I don't see a problem with using SOTW in middle school unless perhaps history is your focus or you have a history buff.  We are using SOTW1 with our 11 year old right now.  Previously, I tried with my oldest child to do it SWB's way with the encyclopedias but that just didn't work for us.  So we just listen to the audio CD, answer questions, narrate, do mapwork and create a timeline.  That takes 20-30 minutes a day. They read 30-60minutes a day from something relevant to the time period, usually fiction.  We've been able to fit in some extras...a salt map, a mummy kit.

 

DS 11 has also been doing a bunch of writing related to ancients via IEW.

 

I learned so much from SOTW!  Are the questions for my 11 year old easy...yes, but let me tell you we are learning as much as they are in the 7th grade over at the public school!  And it has created a love of history in my kids, which I think is the most important thing.  My 13 year old reads the SOTW books for fun, over and over again.  Last night when I went to tell him to turn out the lights, he was reading the Usborne World History Encyclopedia for FUN!  I think all of my children would say history is their favorite subject (which makes me cringe as a math/science person :) ) but we are readers and it is presented as a fascinating story.

 

Also, SWB has her Ancients book for adults.  That might be an option for a strong upper middle school reader.  It is awesome, but dense.