If you do the 4-year cycle, when do you do books that cover more than one time period (e.g. "a city through time" kind of books)?

[luuknam]

E.g. books like this, but let's not get hung up on the specific examples:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Modern-Beijing-Cities-Through/dp/082253214X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

http://www.amazon.com/The-Story-Money-Betsy-Maestro/dp/0688133045/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

 

I'm pretty sure I'm just going to do them whenever, I'm just curious how other people deal with these kinds of books.

 

ETA: The examples I gave are more for 3rd grade or up, but I do have a 3rd grader going in year 1 (ancients) for the first time, currently, and anyway, surely there are similar books for younger ages too.

[ElizaG]

I chose "other."

 

Shorter picture-type books about foreign cities or countries are kept in storage, and brought out (mostly for free reading) during our continent studies in geography.

 

Similar books about our own city or country are kept on our main shelves, and might be read aloud when they line up with our studies in history and geography, or just "whenever."

 

Longer national or world history books are either broken up and read in stages, or kept on the shelf for free reading or reference. 

 

Thematic books such as "history of transportation" might be dipped into at times, but would mainly be kept on the shelf for free reading.

 

That covers all the types I can think of!  :001_smile:

[HomeAgain]

I chose other.  We probably would do it more than once, but depending on how indepth the book went we would do partial or all.  For example, I have a Children Throughout History book.  We'd go to the children of the time period/place in our study, and then set it aside until next time.  Or - we'd pull it out for a lesson in comparison: these children did this, but in this culture they were expected to do this.  How did other cultures treat children?  
It really would depend on what is being taught and what they are ready for/interested in.  If they want to make the connection between Ancient Egypt and how it evolved to Modern Egypt, by all means!  Relate yesterday to today.

 

[Miss Tick]

I would happily choose more than one. But I wasn't allowed to. <pout>

 

I leave them out for anybody to pick up, but will often read our review the section that relates to whatever prompted me to pick up the book in the first place. For complete disclosure I have hard time remembering these types of once-in-a-while supplements.

[Jean in Newcastle]

They aren't that long or complex.  I've done them more than once - if I remember.  If not, I do it when I come across the book and it fits.  It's not like doing it out of order is going to mess up their history learning.  I loved these books more than the kids, I think, because I can appreciate better the progression of time and how it changes things.  

[SilverMoon]

That's way to much analyzing about this for this mom. I would randomly toss them in whenever it seemed like a good fit. *shrug* :)

[HS Mom in NC]

Another other.

We use those kinds of things as needed.  I make a point to include that kind of thing focusing on the most relevant parts that related to our SOTW reading, but there are usually things of interest in the books that may not be specifically related to the time period we're in, but we spend some time on those things too.  

[Sahamamama]

For something like the ancient-to-modern China, I might read the ancient sections when we're on that time period, then leave the book out for the kids to finish (or not).

 

For something like "Story of Money," I might not read that for history at all, but incorporate it into an economics unit study.

 

For most books, just whenever it fits, and however much of it I feel is profitable to read aloud. The rest of the book is there for the girls to pick up and read on their own. HTH.

[Holly]

I voted whenever/wherever.  Sometimes we break them up, sometimes we just fit them in somewhere.  Sometimes it's nice to read about a time period other than what you are covering, sort of a history break.  I've given up on the idea that everything has to fit perfectly into place.  

[Chrysalis Academy]

Whenever. It's important not to feel trapped by the 4-year cycle - there are a lot of great books you'd miss out on, at the age-appropriate time, if you did.

[MerryAtHope]

I used some as "previews" and others as "reviews." 

[LEK]

I selected other. It really depends on the book; the amount of detail, the length of the book, if the individual sections are written so that they may stand alone or if the book really reads better in order with sections flowing on from each other etc.

Some such books we read only the relevant sections each year as they fit in with our studies. Other books we read the entire book each time a single section is relevant to our studies. Sometimes we do not use them with our studies at all but I leave them out when we are finished hoping the kids will read them on their own for review. Probably the most typical use around here is that I will use the most relevant pages to our current studies as an intro and then leave the book out for the next few weeks so that they are free to read further on (or back to previous periods) as they like.

[kiwik]

Why would you recommend a book and then only give it one star?