If you do history the WTM way what are you using as a spine?

[Quiver0f10]

For grades 5-8, I am thinking of an alternative to the KF book.

Edited November 7, 2008 by Quiver0f10

[DarcyM]

This may seem like the obvious answer, but I am using SOTW as our spine. We really focus on lit go alongs. So I pull all the lit choices from sources like Sonlight, Veritas, Good Books list, other bloggers I respect, All Through the Ages.

 

We aren't protestant, so I have to edit a bit for some of those resources' recommendations if they overlap with church history. We also add saint bios and church history that is compatible with our faith.

 

Currently, we are also using This Country of Ours (with some of the "bad words" edited) and starting SOTW3. We are in the early-mid 1600s right now in our rotation.

 

Incidentally, our "history the WTM way" is likely to take 5-6 years, rather than 4 - esp this first go around.

[katilac]

I consider SOTW the spine also. We are in year 1 of our 2nd rotation; I've never used KF. We do have the DK Encylopedia of World History, along with The Timetables of History and a few other references, which we use as needed for clarification, context or pretty pictures :001_smile:

 

The whole 'outline the encyclopedia' thing never did it for me - - I always used outlines to write FROM, never as a method of studying/taking notes, so it seems backwards to me. I do have dd outline the occasional chapter of SOTW, just in case it turns out to be a crucial skill :D

 

But my preference is for SOTW as our spine, with additional reading and projects to flesh it out.

 

edited to add that my oldest is currently in 5th grade

[Mommyfaithe]

I used SOTW with my logic stage students also. I incorporated outlining etc by using IEW History based writing lessons, and then added in literature from the WTM lists. It was very pain-free and productive for my son and now with my dd (5th grade) I am seeing good results too.

 

Before SOTW was available, my older kids used Streams of Civilization starting in 7th grade. We also used This Country of Ours, Our Island Story and other spine type books like Story of the Greeks and Story of the Romans by Guerber. These books worked well for teaching note taking skills and summarizing.

 

Blessings,

Faithe

[dragons in the flower bed]

For Ancients, likely the History at Our House lectures will be the spine. After that, I don't know.

[sagira]

I second Greuber. There is also The Story of the Middle Ages. History Odyssey uses Hendrik van Loon's Story of Mankind.

[EKS]

I am really liking The Human Odyssey. This is not the book by Spielvogel by the same name but the series of three books put out by K12. It is absolutely excellent and perfect for the middle grades.

[Stacia]

Well, it's really more than one book, but I'm using a few from The World in Ancient Times series by Oxford University Press. We're just restarting our ancient history rotation.

 

I'm using SOTW I w/ my younger child, and my 5th grader is using the above series in conjunction w/ the History Portfolio. I also have the KF Ancient History Encyclopedia, another Ancient World Encyclopedia (from B&N), etc... (Yes, I'm a curriculum/book junkie for ancient history. :tongue_smilie:)

 

Basically, using the History Portfolio as our base, we read & discuss related chapters in the OUP series, filling in from the encylopedias if necessary. Then, dd writes papers/reports & does other notebooking (mapping, drawing, etc...) for her portfolio.

[Beth in SW WA]

Jean,

For dc 6th & 8th, this is our whirlwind history plan for this year:

 

SOTW 2, 3, 4

KF readings

OIS selective readings

Famous Men of Middle Ages selective readings

Netflix docs & historical fiction & a bit of period twaddle :)

TWTM logic stage history reading lists from Middle Ages, Ren, Modern

The Teaching Company World History lectures

 

In the spring/summer, they will read History of Us by Hakim.

 

Just tonight we watched a documentary from Netflix on the history of Britain.

 

We're buzzing through these eras quickly and will start the cycle over in Ancients next year.

[Melissa in Australia]

I am using SOTW with my family as the history spine, ranging from grade 8 down to grade 3. we are currently doing book 4. the older 2 will next year move over to high school history, and the younger ones will start SOTW over again.

[Quiver0f10]

Thank you all for your replies. I can't remember now, but does the SOTW activity guide give you corresponding KF pages?

[Jenny in Florida]

We're using the Atlas of World History from Parragon (yes, I'm cheap) and CHOW on CD-ROM as our spine for this go-round.

 

I've discovered that my son does well with what I've come to call the kaleidescope approach: I have him read and watch information about the same historical period or event or person from lots of different sources and let him put together the pieces. He loves making those connections, and I think it involves him in the learning in a way that helps make it "stick."

[Beth in Central TX]

Thank you all for your replies. I can't remember now, but does the SOTW activity guide give you corresponding KF pages?

 

Yes, the SOTW AG provides cross-reference numbers for the pages in The Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World, The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, The Usborne Book of World History, and The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History. I still use the older edition AG (2003), so there may be more references in the newer edition.

 

HTH!

[Paisley Hedgehog]

nm

[Quiver0f10]

Yes, the SOTW AG provides cross-reference numbers for the pages in The Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World, The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia, The Usborne Book of World History, and The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History. I still use the older edition AG (2003), so there may be more references in the newer edition.

 

HTH!

 

 

TY, I knew it was somewhere but couldn't remember where :)

[HRAAB]

My 6 gr dd is using The Human Odyssey from K12 as her spine. We have Kingfisher, History of Mankind, DVD's from The Teaching Company plus many other books and videos.

 

Janet

[Quiver0f10]

My 6 gr dd is using The Human Odyssey from K12 as her spine. We have Kingfisher, History of Mankind, DVD's from The Teaching Company plus many other books and videos.

 

Janet

 

Do you know who the publisher is of this book? I wanted to see if it's offered somewhere other than just K12. Thanks!

[HRAAB]

Do you know who the publisher is of this book? I wanted to see if it's offered somewhere other than just K12. Thanks!

 

The publisher is K12. You might check Amazon. ISBN 1-931728-53-4. That's for Vol. 1. I bought mine at a used curriculum sale.

 

Janet

[Quiver0f10]

The publisher is K12. You might check Amazon. ISBN 1-931728-53-4. That's for Vol. 1. I bought mine at a used curriculum sale.

 

Janet

 

 

Thanks!

[Tami]

We are doing:

 

Early Modern/Modern Times-Joy Hakim's History of US

 

Ancients: Usborne Encyclopedia of the Ancient World/Famous Men or Greece & Rome

 

Middle Ages: Heroes of the Middle Ages/When Knights Were Bold by Tappan with Trial and Triumph

 

I'm not a big fan of KF. It's ok, but just not exactly what I want.

[Jane]

My logic stage students are finishing up SOTW this year. I guess technically we're also using portions of KF and Genevieve Foster but not so much as spines. KF simply for added information and outlining activities and GF's Abraham Lincoln's World was read more as a living book in a couple of weeks time than used as a spine. I'm still debating what I want to do next year. I'm looking through TOG rather seriously, but there is a certain ease to having a simple spine that can be easily fattened by our homeschool grown personal library combined with internet resources and a local libarary. The one thing I do love about using SOTW as a spine is the map work and the timeline figures in the activity guides; those simple activities already prepared for me add so much to my children's learning experience. Overall, though, I value that independent reading from living books the most. I see an intimacy w/history develop that a spine cannot create. Of course a spine is still necessary as it provides our framework.

 

Well, this is more than you asked to hear, but that's how history is going this year. FWIW, it is a very stress-free and enjoyable year. I'm currently reading through an older version of TOG and debating whether I want to switch from the above structure (simple spine, regular map work, continue w/timeline work, and lots of living books) in favor of TOG or find ways to use any spine and add in the type of meat and flesh I discuss I above.

 

HTH you sort out your plans in some way...

[WABeth]

I am reading SOTW aloud because I have a 1st and 5th grader, but my 5th then reads The Oxford First Ancient History as her "spine." I really like this. Each section is two pages and written more in story form than encyclopedia form. It is easier to either summarize or outline from. We will also use FMOG and FMOR when we reach those periods. We also have a subscription to Learning Through History magazine and I have my dd read articles from the Ancients issues that relate (these are sometimes very meaty and I think it would be possible to use these as a spine). I don't know what we'll do next year since there are no further volumes of the Oxford book.