calihil Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 My oldest is only K age, so Im mostly brainstorming ideas for next year.... I am very drawn to the CM style of homeschooling which uses living books. However, many of the curriculums I've found (like AO) use very dated and "old" history books as the "spine." Nothing wrong with that, but I was just wondering if there was anything a little more updated? lol In 1st grade Id like to start both at Creation and then also introduce American History as I've read young children are most interested and can relate better to their own country and people from it. CharlotteMasonHelp.com and HOD kind of does this, but again, it uses the old books (and HOD uses too much twaddly historical fiction for my taste) that I just dont know if I want to risk my child not understanding. I hope that makes sense. So what did yall do, or plan to do, starting at 1st grade with the history rotations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calihil Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 Oh and yes Ive looked into SCM, but the modules honestly really confuse me!! And I dont want to spend the first 3 years in Ancients. Blech. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 You don't like Story of the World? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calihil Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 You don't like Story of the World? Definitely am not opposed to using it! I've heard great things about it. :) But how would I use it and then also introduce American History? Im just wondering how it would be done in practical ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 We are going to use SOTW, I'm not sure how we will incorporate American history yet. My friend who is a few years ahead of me is taking a year off and doing US History this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 The idea with SOTW is to cover US history when you get to it so you can see how the US fits into workd history and what influenced the way it was set up. It is pointed out in TWTM that the US is a fairly minor part of the whole. That said a lot of people do a year of US history as well and/or a year of geography. I am not in the US so it is not something I would consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Definitely am not opposed to using it! I've heard great things about it. :) But how would I use it and then also introduce American History? Im just wondering how it would be done in practical ways. I insert Australian history into Story of the World. For example I did a unit from an Aussie history book on the Aborigines during the SOTW chapter on early nomads. Then the Aussie history book gets put away for many centuries, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Story of the World (SOTW) 3 and 4 have lots of US History in them. I agree that American History should be done in context of World History. If you use SOTW books with the accompanying SOTW Activity Books, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_18?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=story+of+the+world&sprefix=story+of+the+world%2Caps%2C246&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Astory+of+the+world you'll have hundreds of living books to choose from in the suggested reading sections, so there's no need for American History in addition. Many of us do so we can go more in depth, but it's not necessary-especially the first time around. Since I just planned it out, here's American History from: SOTW 3 Ch. 6 New Colonies in the New World Ch. 7 The Spread of Slavery Ch. 15 A New World in Conflict Ch. 16 The West (Not all of this chapter is US history, but some is applicable here.) Ch. 21 Fighting over N. America Ch. 22 Revolution! (American) Ch. 23 The New Country Ch. 27 A Changing World (Industrial Revolution) Ch. 32 The Open West Ch. 36 The Slave Trade Ends Ch. 38 American Tragedies Ch. 40 Mexico and Her Neighbor (the US) Ch. 43 The World of '49 If you don't want a history spine like SOTW or A Child's History of The World (ACHOTW) http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+child%27s+history+of+the+world&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aa+child%27s+history+of+the+world then you can get All Through the Ages https://www.rainbowresource.com/searchspring.php?q=All+through+the+ages which is a compilation of thousands of living books from dozens of book lists organized chronologically through history to use on its own or along side your history spine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Y Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Really, I think mine get more out of SOTW *later* than 1st or 2nd grade. My children like something more along the line of Beautiful Feet Early American for that age, then we move on to SOTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 We haven't done American history yet. I've also heard that young kids are more interested in history closer to home, but it didnt play out that way for us. They were both enthralled last year by all the ancient mythology we studied along with the ancients, and are equally excited to start learning about knights and Robin Hood next year in the Middke Ages. Talking to them about Independance day created yawns. :p That being said I get most of my book recs from All Through The Ages and love it. It includes American history. And I have a good friend that just finished Beautiful Feet with her 1st grader before moving on to the SOTW cycle and raved about it. It sounds from your post that you plan on starting at creation AND American? I know that's a common CM thing, to follow two history streams, but I've never figured out how folks manage it. Especially with very young students you may want to stick to one history timeline at a time. But that's just my opinion :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 We haven't done American history yet. I've also heard that young kids are more interested in history closer to home, but it didn't play out that way for us. That's been my experience too. My kids were just as interested in other historical periods as they were in American History. Great historical narratives and living books are engaging whatever the time period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 The first edition of LCC suggested multiple history strands. However, maybe for kindergarten rather than two full blown strands, you could do famous people, landmarks, and holidays for US and world geography- learning continents, oceans, etc. HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnaj Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Elemental History's Adventures in America is a nice program for younger kids. We were going to do SOTW this year for my daughter's 1st grade year, but we have decided to do Classical Conversations and do American History this year since that is what the cycle is. It's well laid out, and just a nice introduction for younger kids. http://www.elementalhistory.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Y Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Oh, another thought: My young dc just LOVE the book American Pioneers and Patriots. I've read it to them several times now and they're not tired of it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 We did geography in K and will do SOTW 1 in first, waiting for US history until we get to it (though the American Revolution and Civil War have come up in discussions). A Beka has a "My America and My World" book that you might like if you want another strand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdventuresinHomeschooling Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Look at My Father's World. It sounds like they may be a good fit for the focus you want. Also, Beautiful Feet books has an excellent article as to why they start with American History first before the ancients. Veritas' Bede's History of Me and Bede's History of US is also written for K and 1st before they start the history cycle. I am simply focusing on our country's social studies with my K'er with Bede along with some world geography in 1st before we start the cycle. Big brother is doing American History in his 3rd grade cycle this year so it's aligning well, and then the younger brother will start with Ancients in 2nd grade when we start the cycle again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 We are doing SOTW and fit in US history piecemeal through field trips and the like. Tenement museum in NYC, Washington DC and Philadelphia and Boston trips, etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 Definitely am not opposed to using it! I've heard great things about it. :) But how would I use it and then also introduce American History? Im just wondering how it would be done in practical ways. We began homeschooling when we pulled my dd out of first grade ps. Her school had followed Core Knowledge (basically The What Your Nth Grader Needs to Know books). CK teaches both world and American history, pretty much two different subjects. Several months in, my 7yo asked, "Was President Lincoln alive when the Egyptians were building pyramids?" At that point, I realized I needed to teach history singularly, in chronological order, and we began using SOTW **with the Activity Guide** (that's really important!!). In early elementary, I would not concentrate on a well rounded view of history. Instead, I would focus on filling up my children's heads with chronological stories, and using a timeline that will eventually let them see how it all falls in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 I prefer to follow the SOTW rotation gently at first. My 2nd grader will be going deeper into Ancients, while at the same time reading US History biographies and non-fiction. The Jean Fritz books, If You Lived During ...Scholastic Series, From Sea to Shining Sea, and (most important IMO) states geography! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimk3 Posted July 6, 2014 Share Posted July 6, 2014 We did Adventures in America this year with my second grader and kindergarteners. We are doing a world history overview in the fall, using A Child's History of the World as our spine. We will use the SOTW activity guides for the additional reading lists and some of the activities. Then when we start the four year rotation of history, they will have some familiarity with both US and world history. At that point we will weave US history within the context of world history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyerin Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I have rising 1st graders this year. We are doing a DIY year of American History, and then we'll start the SOTW cycle in 2nd grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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