SOTW with 5th-8th grade?

[rachaeloren]

We opened a one day a week classical school this year. For some families, our program is purely supplemental and for other families, they jump onto the same curriculum we are doing at home, for one cohesive program. 

 

We are using SOTW and it's corresponding activity book in our lower grammar grades. We are back and forth on what to do with our 5th-8th grade group. The format of our school is not one in which we can follow TWTM book's logic stage history with library reads, notebooking, etc. We need a class format like SOTW. 

 

The whole school is on the same history cycle and will be doing Middle Ages. 

 

How can I use SOTW in class with the 5th-8th grade? Outside work is purely optional. But, what do we do in class specifically with each chapter that is not too "babyish." 

[Lori D.]

We opened a one day a week classical school this year. For some families, our program is purely supplemental and for other families, they jump onto the same curriculum we are doing at home, for one cohesive program. 

 

We are using SOTW and it's corresponding activity book in our lower grammar grades. We are back and forth on what to do with our 5th-8th grade group. The format of our school is not one in which we can follow TWTM book's logic stage history with library reads, notebooking, etc. We need a class format like SOTW. 

 

The whole school is on the same history cycle and will be doing Middle Ages. 

 

How can I use SOTW in class with the 5th-8th grade? Outside work is purely optional. But, what do we do in class specifically with each chapter that is not too "babyish." 

 

JMO: While SOTW vol. 4, and probably vol. 3, will work for gr. 5-8, I would look for a separate spine for Ancients and Medieval for gr. 5-8, as content and writing level of SOTW vol. 1 and 2 are really geared for gr. 1-4. Here are a few Christian-based ideas for your gr. 5-8 for Medieval year:

 

- Biblioplan Family Guide: Medieval (400AD-1600AD)

(includes writing options, crafts/games/activities, memory work, suggestions for optional outside resources to go with choice of "spine" text)

- Mystery of History, vol. 2 - Early Church and Middle Ages

- TruthQuest: Middle Ages (500AD to 1400AD)

- Trisms: Expansion of Civilization (500BC to 1500AD)

- Streams of Civilization, vol. 1 and vol. 2 (portions that match up with middle ages)

Edited April 5, 2017 by Lori D.

[Farrar]

I wouldn't use SOTW as the primary resource for logic stage just because it's so focused on names and events and myths and not at all on things like cause and effect, which is one of those higher order skills you want to be covering in middle school.

 

I'm not sure how your once a week school is running exactly. I think I'd use Oxford University Press's medieval series, though if you want to do a Christian program, Lori suggested several options.

[The Governess]

If you look at the syllabus for WTM Academy's middle grade history classes, you will see that they use Story of the World as the text. To make the class a logic stage offering, they add to it:

 

Six 300-500 word (1.5 page) summaries of a historical figure or event using additional student-selected sources

 

Four lengthy outlines

 

Four primary source readings, each followed by a set of questions (what events led to the writing of this document, what happened as a result of the writing of it, etc.)

 

A timeline that is added to weekly using the Kingfisher history encyclopedia

 

Weekly discussion questions to answer, and responses to other students' answers to write (sometimes these require outside research to answer)

 

A year-end project (longer paper, or students can get creative and come up with their own option)

 

The class also includes discussion of the weekly topic at a logic stage level and adds to the information presented of SOTW.

[2_girls_mommy]

What are you doing in class for the youngers? Assigning the reading at home then doing projects in class? 

 

I will be doing a history class at co-op next year. I am leaning towards introducing the topic in class, doing memory work, adding to a timeline, having them take notes in class and creating a notebook. I will assign research and writing at home.  And we will do some projects, as most co-op kids come to co-op to do the hands on that they don't get to at home in my experience. And middle schoolers love doing art and creating things as much as younger kids. So I will definitely have some projects.

 

I am not going to assign a specific text. I will send home my schedule of topics at the beginning of the year. I will give different text ideas. I am thinking of sending middle schoolers to the Classical House of Learning Lit logic stage blog for SOTW chp. links, history encyclopedia page links, and literature readings. I won't assign what they read each week. But I will assign writing projects that they go home and research and present aloud occasionally. But mostly they will just add to their notebook. We will do a couple of presentation nights where they will be assigned something bigger at home. This is yet to be determined. But we do this every year. So I will think of something in the same variety as in the past. 4 years ago for middle ages, they created costumes and display boards about their topics. Some children were actual historical people. Some were just random jobs like a jester or a herald.  And they told about themselves.  But this is very open ended. They could create projects instead. I am still thinking about this.  For any high schoolers that join us (we are small. We cater the class to whomever wants it,) I will suggest the SWB History of the Medieval World book in my schedule. 

 

 

 

 

[HollyDay]

If you haven't already, take a look at Paula's Archives.  It has some very helpful resources for SOTW

 

We did SOTW 3 with MOH and SOTW 4 with Hakim's History of US.  It was a nice well rounded program.  I added quite a few resources, especially for Civil War, WWI and WWII.  Again, Paula's Archives will be a big help

[Lori D.]

We did SOTW 3 with MOH and SOTW 4 with Hakim's History of US.  It was a nice well rounded program.  I added quite a few resources, especially for Civil War, WWI and WWII.  Again, Paula's Archives will be a big help

 

Just an FYI: Paula's Archives (at www.redshift.com/~bonajo/) is no more, and has been gone for several years. However, you CAN see the website through Wayback Machine here: http://web.archive.org/web/20150909202152/http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/SOTWmenu.htm

Edited April 12, 2017 by Lori D.

[HollyDay]

Just an FYI: Paula's Archives (at www.redshift.com/~bonajo/) is no more, and has been gone for several years. However, you CAN see the website through Wayback Machine here: http://web.archive.org/web/20150909202152/http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/SOTWmenu.htm

 

When I google Paula's Archives, it still comes up.  I was looking for some resources there just the other day.....

[Lori D.]

When I google Paula's Archives, it still comes up.  I was looking for some resources there just the other day.....

 

Yea! It's back! A year or two ago there was a thread about how it was gone and could only be accessed via Wayback Machine. :)

[Heather in VA]

JMO: While SOTW vol. 4, and probably vol. 3, will work for gr. 5-8, I would look for a separate spine for Ancients and Medieval for gr. 5-8, as content and writing level of SOTW vol. 1 and 2 are really geared for gr. 1-4. Here are a few Christian-based ideas for your gr. 5-8 for Medieval year:

 

- Biblioplan Family Guide: Medieval (400AD-1600AD)

(includes writing options, crafts/games/activities, memory work, suggestions for optional outside resources to go with choice of "spine" text)

- Mystery of History, vol. 2 - Early Church and Middle Ages

- TruthQuest: Middle Ages (500AD to 1400AD)

- Trisms: Expansion of Civilization (500BC to 1500AD)

- Streams of Civilization, vol. 1 and vol. 2 (portions that match up with middle ages)

 

I also want to mention that Biblioplan now has two levels of spine texts for their program. The older level (probably 7th and up - I used it for high school) is called the Companion. All 4 years are available.  The younger level (elementary and early middle school) is called Remember the Days. It is currently available for year 2 and 3 with year 4 due out in January 2018 and year 1 in January 2019. The new Remember the Days book looks excellent both for younger kids and for bridging that gap between SOTW level and a full Companion or high school text. Just as with the Companion there are available options like written questions (called Cool History), crafts, memory work etc).