CC-ers, what do you like to use for history (esp. 3rd grade) along with Cycle 2?
Posted 04 May 2013 - 05:49 PM
Here are some of the options I'm considering -- or a combination of options! (See, I need your help!)
1.) Use the free info at Half a Hundred Acre to read the Everything You Need to Know about History (and Science) pages that correlate to the memory work.
2.) SOTW 2 (and don't worry that CC goes into modern times in 2nd semester)
3.) Sonlight Core C World History part 2, probably 4-day plan (after the fall of Rome - 1914, which is closer to the time period covered in CC Cycle 2)
4.) CC Lapbook at Wisdom and Righteousness (labooklets for all the memory work -- not sure if they come pre-printed or we print them)
5.) CC go-along plan from Sola Gratia (Links for go-along activities, videos, worksheets, etc. for each subject and week)
6.) Something else and/or a combination of the above
What's your vote and why? =D I'm in my 11th or 12th year of homeschooling (does pre-K count?), but, for some reason, I'm having trouble with a workable plan for this. This will be for my youngest's 3rd grade. CC wasn't around, at least in my area, when my older dc were this young. I'd appreciate your help!
Posted 04 May 2013 - 06:43 PM
- Missouri Okie likes this
Posted 04 May 2013 - 08:15 PM
The way we use CC is that we do two history events per day. We read about it, discuss it, and then they write down the title and dates, illustrate it, and write a summary. Next year I may have my oldest make a keyword outline first before turning it into a paragraph or so but we'll see. It depends on how long that takes her to do. I also bought a notebook that is a blank timeline spiral bound from Miller Pads and Paper and we will begin marking the dates on there. We also locate the places on a globe or world map. So three days a week we use the Acts and Facts timeline cards for this and one of the days we do one timeline card and the history highlights. We use the Everything You Need to Know book or history encyclopedias to choose a picture to illustrate in this case, but the other days they have to attempt to draw what is on the card. They do the timeline in a sketch notebook like the ones CC sells and the history highlights they do in a different one so that they can keep all their history sentences together and the timeline together. The history notebook will go through all three cycles but the timeline one they get a new one each year (actually, it takes two notebooks to get all the cards in).
At first the kids were excited to do this and really enjoyed it. Then they got frustrated and their pictures were not their best effort. I persevered with this daily assignment, and I found over time they settled in and wanted to make it their best work. Their drawing skills have improved dramatically and they are really able to "see" the artwork. It is wonderful for picture study. They are retaining the material sooo much better and our discussions are really rich. They are making amazing connections between cultures and times because of the way CC overlaps the information over time. I am amazed how much history they learned this year. We watched the Mankind series together on the History Channel and they were calling out people and places before the narrator would say them based on the clues he gave. It was incredible. And our discussions this year have been very deep and interesting. I really think that during the year that is all one needs to do.
Someone might feel that it is redundant to redo this every year but I don't think so at all. How easily we forget things! I think doing this over and over for years will provide a very solid base of history knowledge and that filling in with some wonderful living books is plenty.......
- fourisenough likes this
Posted 04 May 2013 - 10:59 PM
My advice has always been to use the timeline cards as a spine instead of the history sentences. The history sentences jump around too much if you want to study history chronologically.
I agree that it's difficult to match a curriculum or a reading plan to the history sentences. I think this is where I've gotten discouraged in the past. Even trying to correlate SOTW with the history sentences could have you reading a few pages one week and then several chapters the next!
How do you use the timeline cards as your spine?
Thanks for your input!
Posted 04 May 2013 - 11:05 PM
That may be another great choice, and if I were doing that I'd do MARR.
The way we use CC is that we do two history events per day. We read about it, discuss it, and then they write down the title and dates, illustrate it, and write a summary.
Thank you for your detailed response! I've never heard of anyone doing that! Interesting! I will look into MARR and think about the way you use the timeline and history cards. Thanks!
Posted 05 May 2013 - 12:44 AM
A group of parents did a Wisdom & Righteousness Cycle 1 lap book with the younger siblings of Essentials students this past year. They are beautiful and very well done. It was a bit beyond my 1st grader's interest level as the year went on, but might work better for a 3rd grader. I tutor Essentials, so was not in the room when they worked on them.
I also ordered the "Everything...History" book since I have enjoyed the science one this year. I'm reading the posts on Halfahundredacrewood as well. There are so many great options. The hard job is forcing myself not to try to incorporate every good program or idea!
Posted 05 May 2013 - 10:06 AM
Over the summer we are going to read the backs of the timeline cards to get a quick overview and work on keyword outlining on a few chosen cards.
Posted 07 May 2013 - 09:55 AM
Posted 07 May 2013 - 10:21 AM
Posted 07 May 2013 - 10:21 AM
Thank you, guys! I appreciate your help! I'm leaning towards Sonlight Core C and giving a little background info for history & science with history highlights & the Everything books. The lapbook looks great, but I just don't know if I can add it.
To me, the lapbook was just another way to review the memorywork and not really a source for deeper study. We didn't benefit from it but we aren't really lapbook types.
Posted 07 May 2013 - 11:30 AM
Posted 10 May 2013 - 12:37 PM
Posted 10 May 2013 - 01:23 PM
I think this summer I want to do a high-level overview of American History for my daughter using either the Everything... book or Don't Know Much About American History, which I also own.