Christy B
05-19-2009, 09:48 AM
I can't find what I'm looking for in a history/lit/worldview curriculum, so I'm making good on my threat to create my own.
I keep looking over LLfLOTR and I can see a progression of literature from the epics to more modern times (the influence of WWI on Tolkein, for example; and the influence of C.S. Lewis). I might have to adjust the unit studies a bit, but I see that the section of each test that covers the unit study material is clearly marked, so I don't think rearranging a few would be a problem.
Dd has requested a very concise history text/workbook, with more history reading added in. So, I'm thinking of going with something like Walch's Short Lessons in World History to give us an outline and some structure, adding history readings, and then matching up the unit studies in LLfLOTR with our history outline where they fit. Since we've NEVER touched on The Iliad, The Odyssey and The Aeneid, I think she could read those as her history reading for ancients, and we'll just put unit study five closer to the beginning of the book. And I'll probably read "junior" versions of those from the Veritas catalog, and it will STILL be more than she would do at our local private school. Maybe she can tackle one of the originals later in high school.
We could move the unit on Tolkein's life a little later in the year, since he was profoundly influenced by WWI. I thought we could use the unit on Movies and Classics to cover a couple of more modern works, too, like Little Women or Huck Finn. I don't feel a need to spend a great deal of time on Modern History, in anticipation of spending a greater proportion of our American History year on those topics.
We'll probably spend the bulk of our year on Middle Ages/Renaissance, since that is the bulk of LLfLOTR (with the Arthurian books, Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, etc); which will be PERFECT, since that is the era that we ended up rushing through in our chronological study in 4th - 8th. I also want to incorporate church history this year, to correspond with what dd will be covering in her classes at church, so I will need more time in this era.
So, at the moment, this seems like a reasonable plan, but am I just overcaffeinated? Do you think this could work? It somehow seems to make more sense to start with LLfLOTR and build out from there (since I have it, have read through it, and feel confident that it is going to be a good fit).
I keep looking over LLfLOTR and I can see a progression of literature from the epics to more modern times (the influence of WWI on Tolkein, for example; and the influence of C.S. Lewis). I might have to adjust the unit studies a bit, but I see that the section of each test that covers the unit study material is clearly marked, so I don't think rearranging a few would be a problem.
Dd has requested a very concise history text/workbook, with more history reading added in. So, I'm thinking of going with something like Walch's Short Lessons in World History to give us an outline and some structure, adding history readings, and then matching up the unit studies in LLfLOTR with our history outline where they fit. Since we've NEVER touched on The Iliad, The Odyssey and The Aeneid, I think she could read those as her history reading for ancients, and we'll just put unit study five closer to the beginning of the book. And I'll probably read "junior" versions of those from the Veritas catalog, and it will STILL be more than she would do at our local private school. Maybe she can tackle one of the originals later in high school.
We could move the unit on Tolkein's life a little later in the year, since he was profoundly influenced by WWI. I thought we could use the unit on Movies and Classics to cover a couple of more modern works, too, like Little Women or Huck Finn. I don't feel a need to spend a great deal of time on Modern History, in anticipation of spending a greater proportion of our American History year on those topics.
We'll probably spend the bulk of our year on Middle Ages/Renaissance, since that is the bulk of LLfLOTR (with the Arthurian books, Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, etc); which will be PERFECT, since that is the era that we ended up rushing through in our chronological study in 4th - 8th. I also want to incorporate church history this year, to correspond with what dd will be covering in her classes at church, so I will need more time in this era.
So, at the moment, this seems like a reasonable plan, but am I just overcaffeinated? Do you think this could work? It somehow seems to make more sense to start with LLfLOTR and build out from there (since I have it, have read through it, and feel confident that it is going to be a good fit).