Help me think this through

[My4arrows]

I am putting together my own American History curriculum for next year (kids will be 5th, 4th, 1st and pre-k). It is going to be literature based unit studies and very hands on. We are also going to be doing separate science studies, but not at the same time. So we will focus on history, then science, back to history.

 

Anyway, when doing a rough year at a glance, it doesn't look like I'd be able to get as far into American history as I'd like. I'm conflicted in what to do/skip. My older boys have done early American history quite a bit so things like explorers, pilgrims, colonial America have Ben covered more than once with them and they know it, but my 1st grader doesn't. My older ones also want to do WW 1&2 and some more modern wars we haven't yet covered. I would also like to get to these and keep all the kids together.

 

So I'm not sure if I skip all the beginning stuff and plan on doing it later with yds (as I have two younger ones who will need it as well), go over it quickly with all of them at the beginning of the year, or use our morning time to go over it briefly once a week (I originally was going to use this time to add in states and presidents to our other morning time activities of music, art, root words, Etc). I had thought of doing this over two years, but since ODS will be middle school the year after, I wanted to have him doing more independent work and beginning again with the ancients.

 

Thoughts?

[Sherry in OH]

I would tailor the overall study to the needs and interests of the older children then add in picture books for the younger set.

[8filltheheart]

Or divide into 2 groups and have the older 2 work on the later yrs and let the little ones focus on the earlier yrs and just keep it very short and simple with them