Danestress Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 This would be a second year of a 4 year chronology. I really wish I could use Sonlight. Maybe someday they will adopt a 4 year cycle option. We have done SL 3 and 4 and really really loved them. I want a pure year 2, Middle Ages sonlight! But since that's not an option, what can I use? I am disorganized and like a plan that is fairly well laid out. I want to buy all the books because I end up trying to compensate with what is in our library, and it just adds so much work (in my opinion). I bought Biblioplan for Ancients, and I almost never used it. I think I need more structure and maybe more discussion. I thought Biblioplan looked great, but I was trying to save money by using what was in the library and just buying a few resources, and I think I am maybe a personality that just needs to be told "Use this, read this, here's a worksheet on it" and I need those things to be sitting there on the shelf. I want something that is literature rich with GOOD literature, but my boys also enjoy reading non-fiction. Good biographies would be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 We're seriously considering History Odyssey for this coming year. An alternative might be Winter Promise's middle ages program... Maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 TOG Year 2 units 1 & 2 - Lots of options for books, activities, map work, etc. History Odyssey MA Level 2 - written to the student, not as many book choices, easy to get everything you need. Ambleside Online Year 7 or Year 2 - no activities, great book lists, no worksheets. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Somehow missed Abbeyej's post. This one was redundant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 We're in the same boat next year too. My current plan is to use History Odyssey, and also throw in the books recommended in WTM for that stage. This year for ancients my dd has been dutifully outlining the Kingfisher...yawn. The bonus I see for HO, from looking at the samples, is that it's not nearly as expensive or elaborate as something like TOG. I am learning Classical Writing and just cannot tolerate learning a whole entire new paradigm for history as well. (I say that with the caveat that I might change my mind in a year or two--it's happened before!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted March 29, 2009 Author Share Posted March 29, 2009 I looked at Year 2 and played on the website, and it does look promising. But I followed the link to the store from which I can purchase all the readers and books as a package. My boys will be in 6th grade, but the 4 - 6 grade pack looked a bit babyish - and we have read a good number of these books already. I'm wondering if I could order the 7 - 9 package, or would I just need to pick and choose for each unit? Pick and choose is where I sometimes get off track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Well, if you love Sonlight, you could use the 2nd half of Core 6 for the Middle Ages. They start using SOTW2 in week 20 (giving you 16 weeks of middle ages study). Maybe you could round it out by adding in the medieval-based writing program from IEW. That plan is actually similar to what I'm planning to do. This year, we're doing weeks 1-19 of Core 6, along w/ my dd creating an Ancient History Portfolio. I plan to finish Core 6 next year (middle ages), along w/ the Medieval History Portfolio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmen_and_Company Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 (edited) If you wish to stay true to TWTM, then History Odyssey works well. We do skip some of the literature & summary writing assignments. In addition, I do allow dd to choose to summarize a listed topic, or choose her own from KHE or TSOM or PTP. HO affords me the ability to effortlessly provide assignments in outlining, summarizing, timeline work, and map work without a lot of work on my part. What I like: Lessons written to the student Lessons broken down into manageable tasks Gives time frames as to when to complete scheduled reading We already own 90% of listed resources My county and city libraries carry selections not in our personal library The program is straightforward & easy to implement It's pick up & go once You can add or subtract literature, compositions, and projects with ease Follows the WTM as written in my 1999, ed. Includes outlining, summarizing, timeline & mapwork The program as written provides a full & challenging history cycle It's inexpensive What I don't like: Can get tedious with all the summary requirements--we just reduce or skip DD already read most of the titles--we just substitute No craft projects--we just add in our own I must add literature I prefer DD to read--AO, LCC & personal lists All the literature selections feature male protagonists--per my dd Can be dull--we just liven it up with videos, fieldtrips & projects Edited March 29, 2009 by Carmen_and_Company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrixieB Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Well, if you love Sonlight, you could use the 2nd half of Core 6 for the Middle Ages. They start using SOTW2 in week 20 (giving you 16 weeks of middle ages study). Maybe you could round it out by adding in the medieval-based writing program from IEW. This is what I've been considering for my 6th grader, but can't figure out how to add in a 3rd grader. I thought about taking a week to cover 2 "Sonlight weeks" so that would give us 32 weeks of middle ages study. Currently my 6th grade plan is to use SOTW2 with activity guide, Famous Men of Middle Ages & Modern Times, lots of independent reading including some Sonlight Core 6 books (3rd grader won't use Famous Men and will do easier independent reading). I'm still toying with the IEW writing program and maybe getting the Core 6 IG for the scheduling. We tried History Odyssey for ancients but it just didn't work for us. Dd disliked the outlining, summarizing, reading the encyclopedia, you name it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 This is what I've been considering for my 6th grader, but can't figure out how to add in a 3rd grader. I thought about taking a week to cover 2 "Sonlight weeks" so that would give us 32 weeks of middle ages study. ... We tried History Odyssey for ancients but it just didn't work for us. Dd disliked the outlining, summarizing, reading the encyclopedia, you name it... Well, I've got my current 2nd grader working through the first part of Core 1 + 2 because the weeks will break up about the same as I'm doing w/ Core 6 w/ my older one. Next year w/ my then 3rd-grader, I'll finish the Core 1+2 (starting around week 18 or 19) & will round it out w/ some additional reading & crafts. So, I'm doing two separate Cores, but they will line up well enough for us to do crafts and some read-alouds together. We tried History Odyssey for the Early Modern time period a few years ago & it just didn't work for us either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhondaM. Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 This would be a second year of a 4 year chronology. I really wish I could use Sonlight. Maybe someday they will adopt a 4 year cycle option. We have done SL 3 and 4 and really really loved them. I want a pure year 2, Middle Ages sonlight! But since that's not an option, what can I use? I am disorganized and like a plan that is fairly well laid out. I want to buy all the books because I end up trying to compensate with what is in our library, and it just adds so much work (in my opinion). I want something that is literature rich with GOOD literature, but my boys also enjoy reading non-fiction. Good biographies would be nice. We used Truthquest Middle Ages for 6th grade along with Guerber's Story of the Middle Ages. It was fairly simple to divide the guide up into weeks. I made a plan and just sdpent more time on areas of interest. The guide is cheap, the book suggestions are MANY (activity books, fiction, non fiction, good literature), there is tons of commentary which enabled me to have a jumping off spot for great conversations. I had a Knowledge Quest Map CD and just printed off the maps and instructions. And of course there is always stuff online. Once I had made my plan i just put in an order for my books at Amazon. When my box came in it was almost like getting a box from SL! LOL I used the TQ guide, Ambleside Online, Sonlight, and the book suggestions in the back of Guerber to help me pick out some really good books. Oh...I also bought those notebooking pages...I cannot remember their name. But it gives a little time line, a place to write about a person and put a timeline figure... It was a simple, fun, easy and very flexable way to do history. Rhonda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 . . . since you said you wanted things already laid out. But I'm currently planning a middle ages and Renaissance year for my son, who will be 6th grade age next year. We're using a Houghton Mifflin text called Across the Centuries as a spine, and I'm adding lots of supplemental reading, including some historical fiction (Adam of the Road, Trumpeter of Krakow, D'Aulaire's Norse Myths, plus a couple of his choosing). For literature, he's going to do Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings, again with supplemental reading to punch up the medieval/Renaissance aspect (Beowulf, Gawain and the Green Knight, a couple of Shakesperean plays). I'm actually really psyched. I think it'll be a great year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 You realized you are just making this harder! The things is, I seem to own a lot of TQ books already, so that's helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhsmommy Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 We are finishing 6th grade and used Story Of The World; Middle Ages..with great success!! I used the CD's and bought the activity book. We would listen to the CD's in the car or during down time. Depending on our day we would either do an activity from the AB or do one of the hands on suggested activities. I also went and picked out a few of the suggested readings. If it was a longer novel, he would read that for the week etc.. I also used the discussion questions found for each chapter dor dialogue. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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