Please advise regarding history placement.

[MistyJ]

We our finishing our 2nd year homeschooling using boxed curricula. I feel confident enough now to branch out on my own, and have decided on the Classical method. Because we changed curricula, ds has covered: 5th grade Romans, 6th Ancient Egypt and dd: 2nd grade Romans, 3rd grade inadequate American History.

 

Do I continue the Ancients with my son, going into 7th, because his learning to date is nowhere near thorough, or move him into the Middle Ages, getting ready for highschool? And my daughter, who is going into 4th? :confused:

 

After many late nights, the two history curricula I am interested in using are A Child's History of the World, and the Famous Men series from Memoria Press. I would so appreciate suggestions for history curricula that does not have a religious bias (although we are devout Catholics) and is very accurate.

Edited April 13, 2009 by MistyJ
No one is responding.

[Sasharowan]

One idea you can do for your son is to break the 4 yr cycle into a 3 yr cycle. That way he can cover it twice but not quite in the same depth. use 7th and 8th to hit the highlights like in 7th cover ancients and middle ages and 8th both early modern and modern, then in ninth start back in Ancients and go in depth through high school. We will be starting on HO next year for 3rd&4th and starting my ds13 on HO lvl 3 in 9th grade. He is working through American history now with Hakim series. I have found that placements mainly depend on reading and writing level.

[MistyJ]

I looked up the Hakim history; very nice! Do you use the lesson plans that are published to go along with it? I don't know what "HO" is.

 

How do you cover World History and American History at the same time? Is there time for that?

[Sasharowan]

We didn't start classical at the beginning. My oldest used story of the world book 2 for 5th and 6th. When he started 7th he wanted more American history, so we are going through the Hakim series 5 books a year. So it will cover 7th and 8th grades. He follows along on the CD for story of the world 3 for world history but doesn't do any of the activities. We don't do any of the lesson plans for the Hakim, it is just read and discuss.

 

HO is history odyssey by Pandia Press. www.pandiapress.com We are going to try lvl 1 modern for 3rd and 4th and see how it works. If it all works out, we will use Ancients levels 2 and 3 the following year.

[Guest]

How about something like History Portfolio:

 

http://www.homeschooljourney.com/index.html

 

or History Scribe?

 

http://www.historyscribe.com/hs-products.htm

 

They could each do the same time period at their own level.

[Peggy in Va]

For various different reasons, my middle ds history sequence in not only lacking but backwards. By back wards I mean that this yr in private school he is studying American History 1850-present, but has never really studied American History Explorers - 1850 or so.

 

We will be bringing both boys home next yr., and I plan on do American History: Explorers - 1850 or so, and then the following yr, reviewing for middle ds and covering for younger ds, 1850 - present. Then when middle is in 9th grade starting the 4 yr. cycle. At least I think that's what the plan is.

 

I am planning on using the Hakim series with the Teachers Guides for American History along w/ Teaching Company videos.

 

Below is a link to a thread with information on the Hakim series. If you are interested, scroll down about half way and there is a post where I listed several ISBN numbers for the Teachers Guides and Blackline Masters if you would like to try and find them used.

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91676

 

HTH

[mcconnellboys]

Well, I think I would move on to middle ages, since he's spent two years on ancient studies already. The books you mention are great ones to use. Or, if you want to cover American history more in depth with him, then you could certainly use the Hakim series to do that over the course of two years if you wanted. I have their tests to use with my middle school age son, beginning next year. Other than that, we will just outline and write reports based on the readings. The lesson plans are really geared more toward a group, I think.

 

With your younger child, why not move either into the middle ages or early modern/modern study, as well? You could use SOTW 2, 3 and/or 4 with her. You might want to add in the tests that they have available for these books, too.

[Peggy in Va]

After many late nights, the two history curricula I am interested in using are A Child's History of the World,

 

I almost forgot, in an effort to help middle ds get a better perspective on history, I am also planning on reading this to both dss or at a minimum having middle ds read this over the summer.

 

Thanks for mentioning it and reminding me. :)

[lauracolumbus]

Misty,

I was in the same position w/my 5th grade ds and 3d grade dd this year. We did SOTW Vol 2. from fall until now. I supplemented ds w/Famous Men and Story of Mankind (I had used A Child's History of the World), but SOM seems targeted for a bit older student. I like them both. I also have ds do a timeline. We also use Christian Studies I, which has some ancient history with it. I am trying to move quickly to get caught up. There is a Catholic ancient and middle ages history text, but the titles escape me now. We are now doing SOTW Vol 3, Famous Men of Modern Times. I'm planning of using SOTW Vol. 4 over the summer. We do the audio tapes and my kids love it, so I'm hoping it won't be too hard to do this summer.

 

Laura

[MistyJ]

How about something like History Portfolio:

 

http://www.homeschooljourney.com/index.html

 

or History Scribe?

 

http://www.historyscribe.com/hs-products.htm

 

They could each do the same time period at their own level.

 

I just checked these out online...have you used either one? How did you schedule or plan for them? Are they supplements to another curriculum/booklist, or do they stand alone?

 

Thanks

[Guest]

bump