Dave Raymond's history courses

[alisoncooks 11,808]

DD likes the looks of these video  courses, and unlike most video classes, they're affordable!

Has anyone used these? I'm curious just HOW religious and providential they are.  We are a Christian home but I prefer curriculum that isn't too heavy-handed with religion. 

Any thoughts? Alternative suggestions for engaging, affordable history (video based)?

[cintinative 5,040]

@ScoutTN do you have input?

[ScoutTN 24,654]

We have done Modernity and are halfway through American.

Dave Raymond is reformed theologically, so not the same kind of providential as you’d find in Abeka or BJU materials. More intellectual and more sophisticated, but still at times too black and white. For us, this has worked fine because these things are great for discussion. 

I have appreciated the already-curated primary sources in the reader and the variety in them. We do not do the projects - my Dd detests them. I do assign all the writing and sometimes add to it. The weekly short answer tests and occasional essays work well for us. We added in some movies for Modernity and that was fun.
 
I think (not certain) that if you purchase from Compass Classroom there is a good return policy. 
 

We purchase the DVDs and the downloads. I get the Reader and the TM printed and bound at Office Depot.

hth

[Farrar 65,425]

Obviously I'm coming from a secular perspective, but having gone through even the overview and samples (which I had to do recently because reasons...) it seemed extremely providential to me. I could see that it was more academic and classical than ABeka or what have you - the focus on primary sources seemed really strong, but still. But I may not be the perspective you want.

[aaplank 1,057]

I'm coming from a Christian point of view, and I think that it it very providential.  I was assigned a helper role in a co op class that used the American history curriculum.  There were so many instances where I had to bite my tongue from yelling out at the arrogant point of view.  I found it incredibly offensive, even as a conservative Christian.

[TheAttachedMama 1,351]

I am a Christian.  I really wanted to make it work because it is affordable, seems interesting, and has everything all pulled together.  

However, after watching the sample videos, I decided that it probably wasn't going to work for my family (personally).  I'm still on the hunt for an alternative. 

[RubyPenn 85]

My son is doing American History this year and he really likes it, so I am happy, and he will continue with Modernity next year.  He rarely likes anything, so I am going to stick with what works.  We are reformed, so the perspective doesn't bother me, of course, but my son has also had teachers with  Catholic and secular perspectives, and we just discuss the differences.  I don't think it is overly providential because that would be a problem for us as well.  There were a few things he said in the beginning of the course I didn't agree with, but over all I've been pleased.

I really like the video lessons, primary sources, lesson questions, test questions, project variety (we aren't doing all of them), and the portfolio, which my son did not want to do, so we aren't.  There are also suggestions for optional  readings that go with each chapter, so all in all, there is a lot there to make for a well-rounded course.

Edited January 26 by RubyPenn

[MagistraKennedy 15]

On 1/26/2021 at 3:19 PM, Farrar said:

Obviously I'm coming from a secular perspective, but having gone through even the overview and samples (which I had to do recently because reasons...) it seemed extremely providential to me. I could see that it was more academic and classical than ABeka or what have you - the focus on primary sources seemed really strong, but still. But I may not be the perspective you want.

Can you explain what this means? I feel like I'm out in left field. 😆

[alisoncooks 11,808]

58 minutes ago, MagistraKennedy said:

Can you explain what this means? I feel like I'm out in left field. 😆

Here's a previous thread I found:

 

[MagistraKennedy 15]

1 minute ago, alisoncooks said:

Here's a previous thread I found:

 

Thank you so much. I felt like I had a bad case of the dumbs, so I appreciate your help. 

[Farrar 65,425]

4 minutes ago, MagistraKennedy said:

Thank you so much. I felt like I had a bad case of the dumbs, so I appreciate your help. 

One thing left out of that thread is that providential history often is either openly racist or skirts racism really closely. As in, who was America given to? European settlers, who took it away from Native Americans. So the implication is strongly that God wanted European settlers here to do what we did to Native populations. All part of God's plan to give this nation to Christians. Which, if you believe in providential history - is literally the case. But you can see why that's an uncomfortable conclusion that essentially uses might makes right as a justification.