Is there a simple history resource to cover 1450 to present?

[mazakaal]

My 7th grader has spent the last 3 years doing MOH 1 & 2 (along with being sidetracked with some other things along the way). I plan to use WP Sea and Sky with him next year for 8th grade which is sort of a combo history/science course, though it seems to be heavier on the science than the history. I plan to start him back in Ancient history in the 2010-2011 school year so he can go through history in high school and be on the same history cycle as the rest of my kids. I'm just wondering if there's something that I can have him read to give him an overview of 1450 to the present. I don't want a curriculum with lots of extras. He'll have plenty of work to do for WP, so I just want something that can give him an overview in 15-20 minutes of reading each day. I do have Kingfisher, but I'm looking for something a bit more narrative. We did SOTW in 1st-4th, so I'd rather not do that again. Any other suggestions?

[Corraleno]

K12 Human Odyssey is a very straightforward 7th-8th grade survey of world history. I'm using volume 1 at the moment, in conjunction with an Oxford University Press series on the ancient world, but the textbook alone would be fine if you wanted to get through the material quickly. Volume 2 covers 1400-1914, and Volume 3 covers 1914 to the present (I think this one is 9th grade level?). You can often pick them up used for $25-30.

 

Jackie

[sagira]

K12 Human Odyssey is a very straightforward 7th-8th grade survey of world history. I'm using volume 1 at the moment, in conjunction with an Oxford University Press series on the ancient world, but the textbook alone would be fine if you wanted to get through the material quickly. Volume 2 covers 1400-1914, and Volume 3 covers 1914 to the present (I think this one is 9th grade level?). You can often pick them up used for $25-30.

 

Jackie

 

:iagree:

[1shortmomto4]

I would not do an overview of 1450 to present - he'll be bored the following year in S&S because, while it looks like a mostly science program, it is not. My son did S&S in 7th and it was a great overview of history - just presented in a different way through the development of transportation - ships for starters which covers the 1400s and such and I would say that the history portion is more concentrated on the 1400s and takes longer than the history portion covered towards the end of the program as this takes on more of the space race and not so much history. It is hard not to tie in history when you are learning about the development of the ship and how it was used from the Ancient Greeks onward. It was a great program but it will feel redundant if you do the same thing again this year. I know, well, then what do I use. I'm in the same boat with a different child as I wait a year for more indepth American history. Perhaps a geography-based study? world cultures?

[Donna A.]

We're a similar situation here, so I'm going to have my 8th grader next year do just the Bible and History portion of MFW 1850-Modern. I'm going to have her do a "skim-through" of Expl-1850 during the summer, particularly towards the end of it as she's already covered a lot of the first part (very early American) in past years.

 

Then she'll be participating in some of ECC (Exploring Countries & Cultures) with my younger girls, as well. It sounds very similar to what you're planning by having your 8th grader do the WP program. Are your younger kids going to be studying the same topic with the 8th grader?

[Laura W.]

I would not do an overview of 1450 to present - he'll be bored the following year in S&S because, while it looks like a mostly science program, it is not. My son did S&S in 7th and it was a great overview of history - just presented in a different way through the development of transportation - ships for starters which covers the 1400s and such and I would say that the history portion is more concentrated on the 1400s and takes longer than the history portion covered towards the end of the program as this takes on more of the space race and not so much history. It is hard not to tie in history when you are learning about the development of the ship and how it was used from the Ancient Greeks onward. It was a great program but it will feel redundant if you do the same thing again this year. I know, well, then what do I use. I'm in the same boat with a different child as I wait a year for more indepth American history. Perhaps a geography-based study? world cultures?

 

:iagree:

 

We've used S&S also. Only the first 6-7 weeks cover the years before 1400. It's definitely a different perspective on world history - learning about the inventions and exploration that paved the way for various events. It covers history and science about the same, and is not weighted more toward one of the subjects. I wouldn't add in any extra history, because S&S is a very full year.

 

Blessings,

 

Laura

[mazakaal]

Sorry, I wasn't really clear. Ds is in 7th grade right now and finishing MOH2. For 8th grade he'll be doing S&S. For 9th grade he'll be doing Ancient history. So I want something that I can use with S&S, just giving a very brief overview of history. Would that be total overkill?

 

I will look into K12 Human Odyssey.

 

Thanks.