Thinking ahead... how to do a cultures study without interrupting history cycle?

[Another Lynn]

I was thinking it might be fun and beneficial to add in a "cultures" study, but I don't want to sacrifice an entire year of history to do it. Does anyone do both at the same time? Is there a way to do cultures lightly so that it doesn't become burdensome or take away from the history cycle?

 

Thanks!

[WTMCassandra]

Could you do it over the summer?

[Lori D.]

Daily:

- Take 10 minutes and add geography/cultural studies to your daily school schedule.

 

 

Weekly:

- Do history 2 days a week; science 2 days a week; and then do geography/cultures 1 day a week.

 

 

Monthly/Quarterly/Semesterly:

- monthly: do history 3 weeks, then cultures study 1 week

- quarterly: do history 6-8 weeks, then do a cultures study unit

- semesterly: do history in spurts of 4-8 weeks, then do a cultures study unit

 

 

In one year:

- spend three 9-week quarters on history

- spend one 9-week quarter on cultural studies

 

 

Mix it in as you go:

As you study history and focus on specific people/events or specific time frames, extend your studies by adding in cultural studies. For example: if you're studying ancient China, take an extra 2 weeks to include learn about the cultural aspects of that nation/world region: foods, games/activities, religions, etc.

 

 

Insert it at natural stopping points:

Whenever you come to a natural "break point" in the history (end of a decade or century; end of an era; end of a president or particular leader; etc.), stop history for 1-4 weeks and do a cultural study unit.

 

 

 

We did our first history cycle for 6 years, then took 1 year in middle school for an eastern hemisphere cultures/geography and comparative religions study, and now are finishing high school with another 4 year history cycle. You actually get quite a lot of history along with doing a world culture/geography/religions study. : )

 

It was such an important and helpful study, I wish we had taken TWO years in middle school so we could have done:

 

year 1 = Oceania (Pacific island nations, Australia, New Zealand); Japan; China; SE Asian nations; Indonesia/Malaysia; India/Nepal/Bangelesh; SW Asian nations

 

year 2 = Middle East; Africa; South America/Central America/Carribbean

 

 

BEST of luck, and enjoy your cultural studies, however you decide to incorporate it! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[EKS]

We did a geography study as a separate subject. We did maybe 15 minutes during the normal lesson time and then at bedtime I read from novels set in the places we were studying. I did this when my son was in 5th and 6th grades so 15 minutes wasn't that much of the total lesson time.