Help - Driving myself crazy w/ logic stage US History

[Peggy in Va]

Please help before I drive myself completely crazy. I am trying to pull together a course in American History: Explorers to about 1850 or so for my dss who will be in 6th and 7th grades next year. Just for the record, as it may help with recommendations, older dss is gifted and reads well above grade level, and younger one is your typical above average kiddo.

 

I thought I had this all planned out, but now I’m second guessing myself and I’m not so sure.:banghead: What I originally wanted to do was focus on American History. However, neither of these kids has really had any ancient or medieval history. The younger one some, but the older one zilch. We had covered some when we home schooled before, but that was 3 years ago and to be quite honest we really didn‘t get that much done. They have each spent 2 years focusing on VA History in ps. The older, one because he went to private school this year, is working on US History 1850-present.

 

I really want to focus on US Explorers to 1850 this year, but I also want these kids brought up to speed more or less with everything that went on before so that they have some sort of clue. I was originally thinking of reading to them or having them read CHOW and Our Island Story over the summer then move into US using the Hakim series, but I just don’t know.

 

I think what’s causing me the most uncertainty and anxiety is I just received the new WTM and was reading the logic stage history portion of the book, specifically the outlining. If we’re using the Hakim as our main source, do they outline that, and then just read the spreads in one of the recommended history encyclopedias perhaps writing a paragraph or two on it? Or, do they outline the encyclopedia and just read the Hakim series?:confused: How do I pull all of this together, or is it even possible? I have already pretty much spent my budget for next year; however, I would be willing to buy a new history encyclopedia.

 

The history materials we currently own are (not including literature): The Hakim series, books 1-5, the OUP teachers guides and black line masters that go with them; CHOW (borrowed from friend), SOTW books 1-3, TTC US History Native Americans - Forty-Niners videos, Drive through History - America, UILEWH, The Outline of History vol. 2 by H.G. Wells 1949 (this covers Crusades -WWII), and the History of Europe- Ancient and Medieval ed. 1920 (this book is one volume in what was meant to a 2yr. course in European history in the early yrs of high school and prep schools).

 

Any thought or ideas would be much appreciated. As I previously stated, I think what’s causing me the most confusion is determining what material(s) they would outline.

 

TIA:)

[mcconnellboys]

"If we’re using the Hakim as our main source, do they outline that, and then just read the spreads in one of the recommended history encyclopedias perhaps writing a paragraph or two on it?"

 

Yes, I'd let them outline from this as it's written in a paragraph format and should be simpler to outline than some encyclopedia entries which are already so compressed as to be practically in outline form. The newer Kingfisher is a mess to try to outline, for instance.

 

You say that you have "The Outline of History" and "Drive Through History". Could one or both of these be used for your extra, encyclopedia type reading?

 

I'd let them read SOTW on their own. Volume III is perfect for what you're doing, I think (there might be a little bit you can use at the end of Vol. II on explorers, too). Then, after they do all this reading, I'd let them write about some topic that particularly appealed to them. They'd be pulling and integrating info from all four books mentioned, above, in order to do this.

 

"Or, do they outline the encyclopedia and just read the Hakim series?"

 

I'd check my encyclopedia (or whatever class those other two books are that you mention). If it's written in a paragraph format, then outlining might be simple. If it's already condensed, then outlining might just mean recopying practically every sentence, which is pointless. As I said above, I'd let them outline from Hakim. You could also pick a section or two from a chapter of SOTW to let them outline, but I'd avoid sections that tell stories and choose sections that cover just facts.

 

"How do I pull all of this together, or is it even possible? I have already pretty much spent my budget for next year; however, I would be willing to buy a new history encyclopedia."

 

It doesn't sound to me like you need anything more. I think you already have what you need to do a great study. I don't know what "OUP" means, but if you have the guides to go with Hakim's series, then you already have tons of questions you can use for both oral discussion or for writing assignments, don't you? You could also use some of these for testing. Or, Rainbow Resource carries the test booklet for the entire Hakim series, if you want tests ready-made for you.

 

"TTC" is Teaching Company, no? This is a terrific resource all by itself! Do you have study booklets that include questions to go with those? Even if they just practice taking notes over at least some of the lectures this would be terrific, I think!

 

I can't think what "UILEWH" is, sorry, LOL!

 

It sounds to me as if you have all you need to do a perfectly good history study. You can always add in primary source documents from online (the index book of the Hakim series also contains primary source documents, if you decide to get the rest of those books). And if you have a half-way decent library, you can add in plenty more reading on topics of interest, too.

[PeterPan]

Just to totally blow your mind, have you considered what you'll do the year after that? It seems to me, with as much american as they've done, they might be bored stiff with american. What you might do is a survey of world history, maybe even just ancients through the middle ages, using the resources you have, then start into Omnibus when your boys are 7th and 8th. Just a thought.

 

The outlining is both for the purpose of retaining info and even more importantly for building writing skills. They can outline ANYTHING you want. It just happens to be easy and convenient for them to outline the history spine. Spoken as the woman who is in denial about outlining and hasn't had her dd do it yet. Well we've done outlining in WT and outlining in the BJU Reading, but not of a text like we need to this fall.

[swimmermom3]

Hi Peggy,

 

Next year, my 6th grader will cover Early Civilization to about 1000 AD right before the Vikings. 7th grade will cover Explorers, Middle Ages through 1850s and 8th grade will be the Civil War to current times. Based on the recommendation of my two older children, American history will be woven into world history. My ds did Sonlight Core 3/4 last year (condensed American history) so he has a good overview but very little world history.

 

If you wanted to start the year with Explorers, you could use Home School in the Woods' Time Travelers series. They are time-consuming, but the end product is rewarding. The series also follows along with Hakims books fairly closely. The CDs are about $28 each and cover Explorers, Colonial Life, American Revolution, The Early 19th Century, and the Civil War. You might want to pick one or two for variety. The scheduling is done for you. There are additional readers at the back of the Hakim book, too. You could also use the PBS Ken Burns series on the Civil War. My older ds(8th grade) loved that this year and PBS has study and project guides right on their website for the videos. You can usually pick up the videos from your library. This replaces book 6 in the Hakim series.

 

I hope this helps and doesn't make it more overwhelming1

Lisa

[Peggy in Va]

"If we’re using the Hakim as our main source, do they outline that, and then just read the spreads in one of the recommended history encyclopedias perhaps writing a paragraph or two on it?"

 

Yes, I'd let them outline from this as it's written in a paragraph format and should be simpler to outline than some encyclopedia entries which are already so compressed as to be practically in outline form. The newer Kingfisher is a mess to try to outline, for instance.

 

You say that you have "The Outline of History" and "Drive Through History". Could one or both of these be used for your extra, encyclopedia type reading?

 

I'd let them read SOTW on their own. Volume III is perfect for what you're doing, I think (there might be a little bit you can use at the end of Vol. II on explorers, too). Then, after they do all this reading, I'd let them write about some topic that particularly appealed to them. They'd be pulling and integrating info from all four books mentioned, above, in order to do this.

 

"Or, do they outline the encyclopedia and just read the Hakim series?"

 

I'd check my encyclopedia (or whatever class those other two books are that you mention). If it's written in a paragraph format, then outlining might be simple. If it's already condensed, then outlining might just mean recopying practically every sentence, which is pointless. As I said above, I'd let them outline from Hakim. You could also pick a section or two from a chapter of SOTW to let them outline, but I'd avoid sections that tell stories and choose sections that cover just facts.

 

"How do I pull all of this together, or is it even possible? I have already pretty much spent my budget for next year; however, I would be willing to buy a new history encyclopedia."

 

It doesn't sound to me like you need anything more. I think you already have what you need to do a great study. I don't know what "OUP" means, but if you have the guides to go with Hakim's series, then you already have tons of questions you can use for both oral discussion or for writing assignments, don't you? You could also use some of these for testing. Or, Rainbow Resource carries the test booklet for the entire Hakim series, if you want tests ready-made for you.

 

"TTC" is Teaching Company, no? This is a terrific resource all by itself! Do you have study booklets that include questions to go with those? Even if they just practice taking notes over at least some of the lectures this would be terrific, I think!

 

I can't think what "UILEWH" is, sorry, LOL!

 

It sounds to me as if you have all you need to do a perfectly good history study. You can always add in primary source documents from online (the index book of the Hakim series also contains primary source documents, if you decide to get the rest of those books). And if you have a half-way decent library, you can add in plenty more reading on topics of interest, too.

 

Thanks so much for your insight. Sometimes it just seems to make more sense when someone else spells it out.

[Peggy in Va]

Just to totally blow your mind, have you considered what you'll do the year after that?

 

Oh Elizabeth, you know one cannot blow something that no longer exists. LOL :)

 

As for next year, I was thinking I would have the younger one continue with American up to the present. As for the older one, I think I was considering civics. Perhaps with an overview of world history going deeper in those areas that he finds particularly interesting. This schedule would have older ds starting Great Books with the ancients in 9th grade.

 

It seems to me, with as much american as they've done, they might be bored stiff with american

.

 

The problem here is that even though they had two years of Virginia history, it was just that, Virginia history. For some strange reason our county spends two years on a subject that was written to take only one. Because of this dss can tell you more about Arthur Ashe, Gov. Douglas Wilder, and the different regions in VA, than they can about why the English came here in the first place.

 

That being the case, I thought it might be a good idea if they learned about things like the Pilgrims and Separatists, Mayflower Compact, and all the other fun events that took place before and during the beginnings of our country. I'm probably not giving my kids as much credit as they deserve, but their lack of knowledge in what I consider basic American history just boggles my mind.

 

What you might do is a survey of world history, maybe even just ancients through the middle ages, using the resources you have,...

 

 

I guess this is what I would really like to accomplish, except that I would cover Late Medieval - Early Modern with a heavy emphasis on American.

 

The outlining is both for the purpose of retaining info and even more importantly for building writing skills. They can outline ANYTHING you want. It just happens to be easy and convenient for them to outline the history spine.

 

 

Thank you so much for reminding me of this.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and wisdom, and trying to "blow my mind" by playing devils advocate.

[Brindee]

 

I can't think what "UILEWH" is, sorry

Usborne Internet-Linked Something that starts with e (exploring?) World History???

[PeterPan]

I don't have a 12 yo ds, but I don't think your average 12 yo boy would enjoy Time Travelers. We've done TT explorers, colonial, and now are in the revolution. They gag my dd with papercrafting and push her to tolerance. The readings are only fair. With a dc that age I'd do Hakim over the TT text. The idea behind the synthesis is ok (make lapbooks of the preachers of the Great Awakening, that sort of thing), but it's still a lot of paperpushing.

 

Dinah Zike has a Big Book of US History that would be more age-appropriate if you want something like that.

[Peggy in Va]

Usborne Internet-Linked Something that starts with e (exploring?) World History???

 

Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia Of World History.

 

SWB recommended this in the last ed. and current edition of WTM. It was fine for them when they were in 3rd/4th grades but now they're a little too old for it. The links in it are nice though.

[Peggy in Va]

Hi Peggy,

 

Based on the recommendation of my two older children, American history will be woven into world history.

 

This is what I would like to do, with a heavy emphasis on American History.

 

If you wanted to start the year with Explorers, you could use Home School in the Woods' Time Travelers series.

 

Thanks for the idea, however, I think, for my dss, this would have been great when they were younger.

 

You could also use the PBS Ken Burns series on the Civil War

.

 

This is on the viewing list for next year. But thanks for reminding me I need to add the 10 part Revolution series that was put out by either PBS or the History Channel.

[Peggy in Va]

=OhElizabeth;941737]I don't have a 12 yo ds, but I don't think your average 12 yo boy would enjoy Time Travelers. We've done TT explorers, colonial, and now are in the revolution. They gag my dd with papercrafting and push her to tolerance. The readings are only fair. With a dc that age I'd do Hakim over the TT text. The idea behind the synthesis is ok (make lapbooks of the preachers of the Great Awakening, that sort of thing), but it's still a lot of paperpushing.

 

 

I think this would be fine for "fun days" to break up the monotony, but for every day use I think my dss would have the same reaction. Especially the older one, he'll be 13 the beginning of Oct.

 

The ps here do a lot of this type of work in science and history and I'm really trying to ramp the work up a bit. Older ds, because he is in a private school has had to put forth a lot of effort this year, however, the younger one doesn't have a clue.

 

Dinah Zike has a Big Book of US History that would be more age-appropriate if you want something like that.

 

 

I don't believe I have ever seen this. But hey, what's one more book; and after all, it never hurts to "window shop" at Amazon.:)

 

Thanks again

[Suzannah]

You mentioned that they didn't really get any ancient and medieval history. I think in that case, beginning now or over the course of the summer, I'd have them read/listen to the first two SOTW...maybe even all four of them. That way there's a chronological, narrative flow. It'll set the stage for the new stuff and review the things they've already covered, but put it all in the proper order and perspective. You didn't say you wanted a writing program, but FWIW, we will be using IEW's "U.S. History Vol." which covers Jamestown (1607) to the Gold Rush (1849).

 

Best wishes!

[Peggy in Va]

You mentioned that they didn't really get any ancient and medieval history. I think in that case, beginning now or over the course of the summer, I'd have them read/listen to the first two SOTW...maybe even all four of them. That way there's a chronological, narrative flow. It'll set the stage for the new stuff and review the things they've already covered, but put it all in the proper order and perspective. You didn't say you wanted a writing program, but FWIW, we will be using IEW's "U.S. History Vol." which covers Jamestown (1607) to the Gold Rush (1849).

 

Best wishes!

 

Actually I was planning on doing this over other summer with either SOTW or CHOW followed by Our Island Story which would cover the history of England up to Queen Victoria's death. I have all three books and I would prefer to use SOTW, but I'm not sure there will be enough time to cover those and Our Island Story. On the other hand, I do know there is enough time if I use CHOW. Decisions, decisions - why can't we just add more days or weeks when we need them.;)

 

As for the writing, I didn't list it but I am planning on getting the IEW books. I think they look very interesting and I'm hoping the boys will like them (or at least not hate them).

 

Thanks