Any Catholics using Mystery of History? MOH

[Linda (Australia)]

HI - just wondering if any Catholics out there use Mystery of History and how do you find it?  Have you run into any issues with later volumes?  We are catholic but quite flexible, and have loved using Volume 1, was just wondering about the later volumes, and if they are suitable for a catholic family.

 

Thanks :)

[Schadenfreude]

I met the author at a homeschool conference a couple of years ago. When I asked her how she handled the reformation her response was that she didn't sugarcoat the "catholic atrocities" to the protestants. Um, yeah. We went with a different choice.

[MotherGoose]

I met the author at a homeschool conference a couple of years ago. When I asked her how she handled the reformation her response was that she didn't sugarcoat the "catholic atrocities" to the protestants. Um, yeah. We went with a different choice.

Wow! There is definitely a tone against Catholics (I'm Catholic). We've used all 4 volumes because that's what our coop chose. We live in a heavily Protestant area, so I use those instances to explain how her view of history is skewed (a view she shares with many of the kids classmates).

[RootAnn]

HI - just wondering if any Catholics out there use Mystery of History and how do you find it?  Have you run into any issues with later volumes?  We are catholic but quite flexible, and have loved using Volume 1, was just wondering about the later volumes, and if they are suitable for a catholic family.

 

Thanks :)

 

A friend of mine owns it. Previewing a later volume, I couldn't see us using it. (There are only a handful of chapters in SOTW 2 & 3 that we talk about / supplement / or exchange other materials for.)

The bias that I would have to explain / skip / edit on the fly was too much negative to consider using it for any positives it might have had. Also, at the time, not all of the volumes were out.

 

I use SOTW for youngers and switch to the Catholic Textbook Project materials when the kids are middle grades & up (depending on the kid & where we are in the history cycle).

[AimeeM]

There's now a Catholic version of MOH/SOTW. It's called The Story of Civilization and is sold by TAN Books.

Kind of :)

Depends on the ages. I had TSoC in hand and I would definitely place it at an upper elementary (maybe middle school) level... but if you have high school students, I really can't see using it without heavy supplementation, at which point you may as well use something like the Catholic School Textbook Project books.

 

I only mention the above because I know MOH is marketed as being suitable for elementary through high school, so if the OP is looking for a similar-level option... 

TSoC looked wonderful, but it was over my 7 year old's "head" and much too light to use with my 9th grader, so we ditched it. I hope to pick it up again in a few years to use with my middle and youngest kiddos.

Edited November 13, 2016 by AimeeM

[AimeeM]

Good to know. I've been eyeballing this. So the reading level is more advanced?

Another "kind of." Sorry - I know that's vague.

The reading level itself isn't necessarily advanced... it's the way it's written that leans toward it being more for the later elementary-middle school crowd, imo. Even as a read aloud, the writing style, way things are phrased, and vocabulary used wouldn't be the best fit for a younger elementary-age kiddo (at least mine).

Edited November 13, 2016 by AimeeM

[Momto6inIN]

I'm not a Catholic anymore, but I used to be, and I still have a lot of love and respect for the Catholic church. Yes, MOH doesn't sugarcoat history - but she definitely highlights mistakes made by both sides during the Reformation. I didn't have a problem with it, but YMMV.

[misty.warden]

We tried using Vol 1, what turned me off was the heavy YEC perspective and the very conversational writing style, nothing in particular was anti-catholic in that volume but it didn't make me want to continue on and edit the later ones that would have that issue. We decided to go with Connecting with History, which is a bit more DIY but I don't have to worry about the recommended reading being in conflict.

 

 

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[Beaniemom]

There's now a Catholic version of MOH/SOTW. It's called The Story of Civilization and is sold by TAN Books.

 

 

Be aware that this only deals with Western Civilization. I bought it and returned it because it was not truly a world history.

[Beaniemom]

It goes through the same stuff as SOTW - African, Greek, Roman etc...

 

I was refering to Story of Civilization, not MOH, sorry if that was not clear. I even asked if Story of Civilization would venture to include more areas of the world in later texts but was informed that this was not going to be the case. It is strictly Western Civ.

[Syllieann]

I was refering to Story of Civilization, not MOH, sorry if that was not clear. I even asked if Story of Civilization would venture to include more areas of the world in later texts but was informed that this was not going to be the case. It is strictly Western Civ.

Did they give you a scope and sequence for later volumes? If so, please share :)

[knitgrl]

A friend of mine owns it. Previewing a later volume, I couldn't see us using it. (There are only a handful of chapters in SOTW 2 & 3 that we talk about / supplement / or exchange other materials for.)

The bias that I would have to explain / skip / edit on the fly was too much negative to consider using it for any positives it might have had. Also, at the time, not all of the volumes were out.

 

I use SOTW for youngers and switch to the Catholic Textbook Project materials when the kids are middle grades & up (depending on the kid & where we are in the history cycle).

 

Vol. 1 of SOTW seems too easy for a 5th grader, so The Catholic Textbook Project looks like a really interesting option. The samples are definitely well-written and engaging.

 

Would you mind sharing what parts of SOTW you discuss, skip and/or heavily supplement? I'm a recent convert and am afraid I'm going to miss something.

[Vida Winter]

If anyone is interested I have a Catholic Textbook Project set for sale in the classifieds. We used it in 5th and half of 6th grade (took us longer than one year to finish). It could probably be used for middle school :-)

 

I think it is slightly hard to use for 5th grade - it is open and go but not independent if you want to get a lot out of it. We read most of it aloud and supplemented with Liberty's Kids videos (fun!), made an Evan-Moor lapbook, and had some good discussions. It was definitely easy for us to use as Catholics.

[AimeeM]

Vol. 1 of SOTW seems too easy for a 5th grader, so The Catholic Textbook Project looks like a really interesting option. The samples are definitely well-written and engaging.

 

Would you mind sharing what parts of SOTW you discuss, skip and/or heavily supplement? I'm a recent convert and am afraid I'm going to miss something.

The first (From Sea to Shining Sea) from CSTP is doable for a 5th grader, but I wouldn't use the world history books (Light to the Nations volumes I & II) until at least middle school (preferably 7th or 8th grade). 

[RootAnn]

Vol. 1 of SOTW seems too easy for a 5th grader, so The Catholic Textbook Project looks like a really interesting option. The samples are definitely well-written and engaging.

 

Would you mind sharing what parts of SOTW you discuss, skip and/or heavily supplement? I'm a recent convert and am afraid I'm going to miss something.

 

I had to look up my plans. Everyone will make different choices, but here were mine. I've done this twice & have done different things each time.

SOTW2 - skipped the following chapters & covered the listed subjects with Catholic or other materials. (I didn't check to see if these were the same topics being skipped. I just looked at what we covered in my plans.)

Ch 34 - Martin Luther & Henry VIII

Ch 36 - Reformation/Counter-Reformation / Council of Trent

Ch 38 - Edward, Mary, & Elizabeth.

 

SOTW3 -

Ch 1 & 2 were skipped completely. I don't have a list of the topics I covered, but I believe I read some short biographies of people from the time period including Charles V of German,  William of Orange, and Mary Queen of Scots. Not sure what else as I don't have my books in front of me.

Ch 9 - covered with other material

[RootAnn]

The first (From Sea to Shining Sea) from CSTP is doable for a 5th grader, but I wouldn't use the world history books (Light to the Nations volumes I & II) until at least middle school (preferably 7th or 8th grade). 

 

I agree with this. Light to the Nations 1 is okay for a strong reader in 7th or 8th, but LttN2 is REALLY challenging. It could definitely be used in high school. (It is a tough slog in the Napoleon chapters - which are about half the book.)

 

All Ye Lands could possibly follow From Sea to Shining Sea. I haven't seen it in person, but that's my understanding. So, there are two books for middle school and possibly Light to the Nations. I had my kid use LttN independently, so I had to have a strong reader. If you are doing it together / read aloud, you could slog through LttN2 earlier than high school. They now have a supplemental volume for LttN2 that covers US history during that time.

[knitgrl]

I had to look up my plans. Everyone will make different choices, but here were mine. I've done this twice & have done different things each time.

SOTW2 - skipped the following chapters & covered the listed subjects with Catholic or other materials. (I didn't check to see if these were the same topics being skipped. I just looked at what we covered in my plans.)

Ch 34 - Martin Luther & Henry VIII

Ch 36 - Reformation/Counter-Reformation / Council of Trent

Ch 38 - Edward, Mary, & Elizabeth.

 

SOTW3 -

Ch 1 & 2 were skipped completely. I don't have a list of the topics I covered, but I believe I read some short biographies of people from the time period including Charles V of German,  William of Orange, and Mary Queen of Scots. Not sure what else as I don't have my books in front of me.

Ch 9 - covered with other material

 

I have plenty of time to do some research before we get to that. Thank you so much for taking the time to look at old plans.