Nakia Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 (edited) I just thought about this today. For those of you who follow a 4 year history cycle, when do you do a Government/Civics course? I am obviously not there yet, but I was just wondering. Also when you do a state history course? Most of the time in PS it is done in 4th grade around here. Anna will be in 4th grade next year. I might add some specific NC state history, but I don't want to do a full year. I am excited about starting MFW CtG! Thanks! Edited March 30, 2009 by Nakia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3browneyedboys4me Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 We will do a NC unit study this summer. I learned early on to school year round. This will be the first year that we only do a 'light load' of school over summer b/c we actually had a great academic year from Sept.-May. We always seem to lose ground at different times of the year, and I end up making up for it over the summer. So, I was thinking that this year since we've done so well with our studies; I would do 'extras' over the summer. I am hoping to do Art, NC history unit study, and review of grammar/math. HTH! Bethany Advance, NC:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3browneyedboys4me Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I've just started lapbooking and love it. The kids do too. So, I was thinking of doing a very cool lapbook of NC. That would be fun!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I do some during early modern/modern periods. I don't do as much during third and fourth grades as I do during seventh/eighth grades. Those years are much more intensive in US studies than world, so while we're covering the US, I tend to cover the topics of government as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 I've just started lapbooking and love it. The kids do too. So, I was thinking of doing a very cool lapbook of NC. That would be fun!!! Do you have a specific NC lapbook in mind? If so, could you link me? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 My plan (as yet to be implemented! LOL) is to do the SOTW 4 yr cycle in 3 years (we YR school so it shouldn't be difficult) and then use the fourth year of US History. We combine Civics and Government for the boys, and cover history-related holidays as supplemental reading for DD. State history flows directly into US history since we live in VA. ;) The history of the Commonwealth is vital to the nation's history so we don't feel the need to do a state history unit as such. DD likes to read biographies, so we have a lot of those as her "pleasure reading." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I like the WTM way of doing Gov't as part of year 3 in high school--reading Federalist Papers and a few other GB's, adding in either Abeka or Idiot's Guide to Am Gov't, etc. State History will be part of Am History here--like the PP, I'm in VA, so the early history of our state is covered pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 If you do MFW you will do a government section when you are in Exp to 1850 when you learn about American History. You will go over how the Constitution was written and how our government is structured. Also in Exp to 1850 is a 4 week state research project at the end of the year. We have Exp this year and are just about to start our research project on CO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Good question about the civics/government thing--I've been deliberately keeping my head in the sand on this one, but I am researching graduation requirements and might have to tweak something. I *think* I remember seeing on the LCC website a suggested schedule for those needing a govt. class. As for state history, it is indeed taught here in Colorful Colorado in 4th grade. (Aside: I lived in IL in 4th grade and never saw one bit about IL history that I recall). Anyway, the summer before my dd's 4th grade year, we did a little unit on CO history. It's pretty easy to find state history books at the library. And, I figured we'd hit it again before my ds's 4th grade year, and sure enough, we're going to do a unit this summer, but this time I'll beef it up with more field trips. I'm looking forward to it! I think we would all balk at a whole year of state history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I just thought about this today. For those of you who follow a 4 year history cycle, when do you do a Government/Civics course? I am obviously not there yet, but I was just wondering. Also when you do a state history course? Most of the time in PS it is done in 4th grade around here. Anna will be in 4th grade next year. I might add some specific NC state history, but I don't want to do a full year. I am excited about starting MFW CtG! Thanks! In the early years, we just work state history and civics stuff into the normal history routine. For example, when we do the middle ages and Renaissance next year, one of the things we'll do is visit St. Augustine here in Florida. We'll read up on it before we go and do at least one historical tour. The last time we did the ancients, we did a field trip to a museum in Daytona that has an exhibit about an early civilization in the state. When we roll around to the modern era, we'll do a couple of visits to the county history museum. We do more, but you get the point. At the high school level, my daughter did a one-semester American Government course as an elective one year. She took it just because she was interested, but I think I plan on having my son take it in conjunction with his modern world history year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 If you do MFW you will do a government section when you are in Exp to 1850 when you learn about American History. You will go over how the Constitution was written and how our government is structured. Also in Exp to 1850 is a 4 week state research project at the end of the year. We have Exp this year and are just about to start our research project on CO. Thanks for pointing that out! I haven't gotten that far in the MFW catalog yet. :001_smile: I appreciate all the responses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 For my 6 y/o, I compare governments as we get to them, or at least I did once we got to the Greeks. Not only did I compare the Greeks to earlier cultures, but to modern ones as well (at his age, I'm only referring to US and British). I can see doing that more intensively each cycle through. And then of course the history of the last 400 years could have the development of modern government in it, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori in MS Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 In MFW's high school it is planned for one of the high school years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesiwins Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I am also no where near that far, my oldest is in K this year, but like some the other posters I intend to include extra American History by spending 2 years (1 in elementary and 1 highschool) expanding the last two history cycles. We will basicaly have a 5 year rtation. Also, I would like to do the final ancients rotation in the last year if highschool. That will have my dc reading primary sources that talk about the foundation of modern government & civics ideas. Throughout their education I plan to expose them to the workings of government. I already bring them with me to vote and I've shown my dd 5 what the ballot looks like. We've all attended various public hearings at the state capitol about issues that are important to us and when we are in the State capitol during business hours we tour various parts of the capitol building and meet with representatives. We also have friends in the DC area and trips there will be a part of our "curriculum." I'm sure I will add in some formal instruction about how government works, but I hope that the role of government in our lives becomes part of the fabric of our family, not just a unit study. As for state history, we take mini vacations around the state and camp in the summer. We always try to learn something about where we are and what makes it special. Maybe we'll start a state scrap book in a few years to collect and process some of the info we are picking up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SheWillFly Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I'm curious about this as well because my state requirements say that I have to instruct on both state and civics during the elementary years. Next year I was just going to introduce state history and info through a simple reader and explore in more depth based on my girls' interest. US history also is closely connected with our state so they will also get an introduction to some US history as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 The first time we finish the 4 year cycle we stop and do a unit on US history, geography, presidents etc. After the second time around we do a unit on government and economics. The units are actually more than that, we take almost a full school year for the US history and a full semester, give or take, for the gov./econ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzannah Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Well, we aren't required to do VA history at a certain time, but we did spend 2-3 weeks in 4th grade studying VA and making a lapbook. During the previous years we had taken field trips to Mount Vernon, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, Manassas Battlefield, Arlington Cemetery, etc. We see the Pentagon and Potomac River all the time and drive through the Blueridge Mountains once or twice a year to visit family. Since we were able to visit sites and learn so much Virginia history along with our regular history studies, I felt that 2 weeks and a lapbook was sufficient. We'll do it again in a couple of years and probably add Tennessee and Arkansas state studies as well since our families are from there and we go back to visit often. As long as there isn't a state requirement, I'd say anything from 2 weeks to a semester is acceptable. Just take the time to learn local history as you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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