8th grade history help

[mom2kando]

Hello- Hoping to get some thoughts.

I have an 8th grader (and 6th grader) and I was planning on doing Early Modern US/World history this year with them together (it's SCM). I like the program but am second guessing because my 8th grader MAY attend a classical high school next year. Their history sequence is

9th- Early Civilizations

10th-Early Church/Early Medieval

11th-Renaissance/Age of Discovery

12th-American/Industrial and Communist Revolutions. 

My concern with our current plan is her not having a chance to get past Emancipation before 12th grade, but...we're also not in a position to do a deep American History study this year.

I've been thinking of dropping the American History and having her just read American Literature and some documents while focusing on World History through the present....or should I just stick with original plan and complete Early Modern US/World which ends at 1850. She has a heavy load of online/co-op classes this year and history is the one thing we are doing together so I was hoping to make it meaningful and enjoyable 🙂  TIA

[Lori D.]

Gently, there is SO much history, there is no way we can know it ALL. There WILL be gaps. The cool thing about homeschooling is that you get to choose where those gaps will fall.

Also, there is no guarantee that your DD will do all 4 years at the classical high school, so I would NOT change what I was doing in 8th grade on the weight of what *might* -- or might NOT! -- happen 2, 3, 4 years in the future.

And finally, there is SO much to the good about you and the students liking a program, and also being able to combine several students into one program and work together, that I personally would just run with that. If DD is heading off to high school next year, then this is your last window of opportunity to do something fun all together. I vote you go for your original plan, and take each following year as it comes. 😄 

Side note: one thing you could do very informally for the next 5 years (DD's 8th grade and high school years) is to have a once-a-week dinner table talk about a key event/person of the 20th century. You could even tie in with current events, as to really be able to understand what's happening in the world today comes from seeing the events from the past 100 years that led up to the current events. Just a thought!

BEST of luck in your 6th & 8th grade homeschooling adventures! Warmly, Lori D.

[mom2kando]

53 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

have a once-a-week dinner table talk about a key event/person of the 20th century. You could even tie in with current events, as to really be able to understand what's happening in the world today comes from seeing the events from the past 100 years that led up to the current events. Just a thought!

Lori- Love love love this idea! Thank you. And thanks a million for the encouragement. You know how it is- when we get stuck in out own heads? This helps so much. ❤️