What curriculum do you use for HS history & LA?

[Summer123]

HI, I have a soon to be 8th grader.  Whichever program I choose for HS, I'd like to start it in 8th grade so she's used to the format before HS.  History Background:  Pulled DD out of PS after 5th.  We have been using MFW ECC, CTG and next year maybe RTR (have a 5th & 1st grader also).  My problem is, is that if I continue with MFW, she will not have any US History for 5 years. For HS, MFW starts the 1st two years with Ancients and then World History.  I was thinking about adding an extra US history book for her to read this year, but I am open to options.  LA background:  She has been using CLE w/co-op writing classes.  I love the book selections for Excellence in Literature, but I am worried about the actual literary analysis and reading comprehension.  (ex. will she learn about foreshadowing, conflict, irony, genres, viewpoints, etc?)  I don't have the book so I can't tell.  I am open to BJ, Sonlight, HOD, or any other suggestions.  Would like Christian based if possible.  What curriculums do you use?  Thank you!

Edited June 26, 2016 by Summer123

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I thought Windows to the World was an excellent Intro to Lit program.  It covers the sort of literary analysis you mentioned.  I think it also dovetails nicely with later use of EiL modules.

 

I taught WttW in a coop setting.  I used the Jill Pike syllabus that adds To Kill a Mockingbird, Jane Eyre and Hamlet.  I skipped the part of the syllabus that goes over Teaching the Classics.  The next time I go through WttW, I will probably substitute a different book for Jane Eyre, which isn't a favorite of mine.

 

We have done different things each year for history and literature, rather than using a single program for all of high school.  I wrote several of the courses we did and followed AP course goals for some of them.  

[Mosaicmind]

We are using Notgrass because it incorporates history, English, and bible into each history program. Literature is part of this also and they have the recommended literature selections that go with each history. If you do their program, they say that for high school you get 1 credit in history, English, and bible.

[Guest]

We used SL for junior high, but I doubled up on History for 8th grade so she did SL Core H (year 2 of 2 world history) and a US History course I created using Story of the US and a whole bunch of Great Courses. The US History was at the high school level to meet the college requirements here. For 9th grade we're using Tapestry of Grace and starting over with Ancients. This summer we are doing Goverment. So basically we're counting extra history as some electives, but she is a history buff thus far and doesn't mind. TOG had Bible, History, Geography, Philosphy and Literature/Writing all included if you choose to utilize them and it gives you assignments for multiple learning stages. So if she isn't ready for Rhetoric stage, you just drop down to the Dialectic stage for that particular subject or maybe just replace certain reading selections. It's very flexible.

[Holly]

We're planning on using Memoria Press for high school.  Several of their texts have corresponding DVD lectures, so I think that will be a big help for keeping up with everyone without sacrificing on quality.  We'll also be using Compass Classrooms for some subjects (Latin, economics, and some history).  These also have DVD/streaming options and look pretty good.  

 

For LA, I plan on going with MP literature & poetry selections along with their Classical Composition program.  DD will be starting a grammar overview with Our Mother Tongue next year, and we'll take 1-2 years to go through this.   

 

These are all Christian programs.

Edited June 27, 2016 by Holly

[Amateur Actress]

I second Tapestry of Grace! It's great for multiple ages, covers a lot of subjects (history, literature, church history/Bible, geography, fine arts & activities, government, philosophy), has great literary analysis, is a Christian, Classical curriculum, and is academically sound. We love it.

[Momto6inIN]

LA:

For 8th grade, we finish up Analytical Grammar, do Figuratively Speaking (for all the lit terminology you mentioned), and do something that made sure they could write standard essays (Wordsmith Craftsman for my oldest DS, still working on it using various curricula with my younger DS :) ), then followed that up with Windows to the World and then Excellence in Literature units in high school.

 

EiL assumes you already know literary terms and how to write a literary analysis essay and does not include any writing instruction. They're great units that really help the students dig deeply into the literature selections, but you have to have those skills in place first.

 

History:

My middle schoolers do history with the rest of us as a group using SOTW or MOH. Then they have supplementary reading assignments using The Human Odyssey and History of US. They also write summaries (5th & 6th) and outlines (7th and 8th) of their history reading. They keep their own timelines and do geography (Trail Guides).

 

Once they get into high school, we don't follow the 4 year cycle and they don't do history with the rest of us anymore. *sniff*

 

My high schoolers do Ancients - Renaissance in 1 year using The Great Courses History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective and Foundations of Western Civilization I. Then they do 2 years of US History in World Context using The American Odyssey, The Great Courses History of the United States, Critical Thinking in US History, and MOH Volume IV. The 4th year of high school they do US Government and Economics. Geography is practiced here and there using Seterra games, but the bulk of direct geography instruction is finished in middle school.

[raganfamily]

I used EIL for my older kids and would use a unit here and there to correlate with the history they were doing.  However, we started with the the Intro to Lit book, which I think is similar to WttW.  We also use Analytical Grammar.  Both of these are great resources.  I also would recommend How to Read a Book Like a Professor

 

I did combine our World History and Am History and just had that spread out over two years.

 

With my younger two, I plan to use TOG.  However, currently trying to figure out how to incorporate EIL.

 

[Summer123]

Thanks so much for your replies, I really appreciate it!!!!!

 

I don't know why I didn't think of this before but while I was looking at History courses that included Literature, I didn't realize that the History based literature courses wouldn't include any of the classics like Animal Farm or 1984 because they are Sci-Fi based and not history.  So, I'm not sure if I want to go with a history-based and miss out on some of the classics or go with a history because I love how they tie in together. 

 

I tried TOG before (with all three kids and it wasn't for us)  It was too confusing switching around the TG to what page I needed for 3 levels.  Even though we studied the same period, they were all reading different things with different worksheets, so it seemed like I was teaching 3 history courses.

 

Notgrass - I looked at this, but they only have HS history for 3 years and I would like to do a 4 year program.

 

MP - I am looking into this, it looks interesting!   I like how they start American History in year 1 of HS.

 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Thanks so much for your replies, I really appreciate it!!!!!

 

I don't know why I didn't think of this before but while I was looking at History courses that included Literature, I didn't realize that the History based literature courses wouldn't include any of the classics like Animal Farm or 1984 because they are Sci-Fi based and not history.  So, I'm not sure if I want to go with a history-based and miss out on some of the classics or go with a history because I love how they tie in together. 

 

I tried TOG before (with all three kids and it wasn't for us)  It was too confusing switching around the TG to what page I needed for 3 levels.  Even though we studied the same period, they were all reading different things with different worksheets, so it seemed like I was teaching 3 history courses.

 

Notgrass - I looked at this, but they only have HS history for 3 years and I would like to do a 4 year program.

 

MP - I am looking into this, it looks interesting!   I like how they start American History in year 1 of HS.

 

Our kids read Animal Farm when we studied the modern era.  I think it was in the post WWII - Cold War period.  

 

I don't think that Orwell is ignored because of the Sci Fi content, but more because the books are so recent.  Also there is some content in 1984 that might keep it off of some lists.  (Brave New World could have similar issues.)

 

I was able to pretty much keep my kids studying the same history period until the oldest got into high school.  The pace and direction diverged then.  I have a rising 12th and rising 8th grader and they won't have any content in common (although I am hoping the older may be good for occasional Latin tutoring, since he just finished AP Latin and the younger kid is starting Latin this year).