Planning History: Does this sound doable???

[Um_2_4]

So I was planning to do Amer. History next year (ds's 7th, dd's 4th and twins 1st), but as I start laying it out there is just so much! I want to spend the 1st 6 weeks on native Americans/regions/life pre-European arrival. But as I planned that left me like 2 weeks for the Civil War and 1 week to get from end of WWII to civil rights movement :lol: !!!

 

We do school pretty much year round (6 weeks on / 1 off, with a total of 40 school weeks/year), but it seems like more than can fit into 40 weeks. But I don't really want to spend 2 years on it either. 

 

So could we take next year to do American History to 1890s or 1900, then next year do Modern History and weave in world and american history from 1900-today? I would think that studying the World Wars from all angles would help, not just what was going on in America, iykwim. Anyone done this? I'm thinking use SOTW4 with the series The Century by Jennings. And add in some other spines (maybe Kingfisher etc).

 

Anyone do similar??? Thoughts?

 

 

[happypamama]

I have not done that specifically, but I think it not only sounds doable, but that it sounds great! It gives your oldest a solid foundation in the basics of US history as well as modern world history before high school, and it leaves plenty of time for colonial and pioneer history, which can include lots of projects and activities that are generally appealing to kids your three youngests' ages.

 

You might check out the Pandia Press book lists for Early Modern and Modern for some good novel supplements. Most of them have been big hits with my children (not Oliver Twist -- boring, says DD -- and Things Fall Apart -- has a killing scene that upset DD -- but I think all the rest, especially with my current 5th grade son, even the ones with girl protagonists).

 

For your oldest, look into the k12 Human Odyssey books, available in expensively on Amazon; SOTW is maybe a little light for upper middle school, and both of my oldest children have said that k12 is interesting and readable. My middle schoolers use Kingfisher as a spine along with the k12 books, and my elementary ones use Usborne with SOTW.

 

Hmm, I might have to revisit all of this in a year. . .

[happypamama]

Also, you might just spend a bit of time reading the non-US chapters of SOTW 3 in between finishing US history and starting modern world history, maybe not doing all the mapwork and supplemental stuff, just so they're introduced to the major world players and have a clue about things like the French Revolution and Oliver Cromwell. Or, if you spend a fair amount of time in the car, get the SOTW3 CDs and listen to them then, just so that as they're focusing on early US history, they're still getting the background fabric of the rest of the world.

[Um_2_4]

I have the k12 HO books along with some other spines (the Century for young people and a few others). We should finish through Waterloo by the end of the year, so I could do a refresher before delving back in.

I'm going to go work on my schedule and see what I come up with.