frustrated with history-any suggestions?

[hpymomof3]

I am starting to plan curriculum for next year for 5th and 8th grade. It will be my dd's last year schooling at home :(. I want to try to make it special but I also want to make sure that she retains as much information as possible.

I really don't know what I am doing wrong with history. We started MOH 1 at the beginning of the year. At first they seemed excited about it and were retaining a lot of information. Now it just seems like a chore for all of us. None of us are retaining the information. For some reason I also have a mind block when it comes to ancient history so I'm sure that doesn't help. We are also reading through some American history every few weeks. For some reason we are all able to retain that better.

Next year I want to cover post civil war but I'm not sure what to do for World History. I really don't think either child has a good grasp of ancient history but I was planning on doing medieval history next year or continuing on with MOH 2.

Our school schedule is very full so I don't want to add any more work. I tend to read and discuss the history with them rather than having them answer any questions or do any narrations, etc.

It might not be too late to figure out a better way for my ds but since it will be the last year for my dd to school at home I am running out of time.

Any suggestions?

[Linda in NM]

Well, at the risk of sounding like a broken record :->, take a look at Trisms. It has an inclusive World History program--HistoryMakers--that we're using for 8th grade. Unfortunately, we won't complete it this year, but I figure we'll just listen to SOTW IV on the car CD player...

[Tami]

If you want something laid out for you and literature-based, Sonlight immediately comes to mind. We have enjoyed a Core 5 "lite" this year!

[Sue G in PA]

the areas she WON'T cover in the high school or areas that she is particularly interested in. It doesn't even have to be a particular "era", persay. It could be she loves the Civil War. Take a few weeks to study that. KWIM? Does she enjoy lapbooking? She could use a few of the lapbooks from HOAC for a particular time period or event and just do that. Chances are she'll get to World History in hs. Maybe just do American?

[hpymomof3]

She will most likely have world history sophomore year and American history junior year with economics and government senior year. I just feel like I need to do something at home for world history. For some reason though, it just isn't our favorite. I wish it was.

[OhElizabeth]

If she's going to do world history her sophomore year, why would you do it at home too? I'd do geography with her. Is this going to be for 9th grade? They're not going to want to give credit for the same thing twice, meaning I'd definitely do something different from what she'll be doing when she transfers. You could have your pick of geography programs and have a ton of fun with it. As Tami says, you could do SL5 and call it geography. You could beef up something like MFW ECC and require plenty of extra writing.

Instead of worrying about content, I'd find out the SKILLS she's going to need to transfer successfully. I talked with a homeschooler recently who's dd transferred to a high school and it was the quantity of writing that shocked her. I'd find out what those skills issues will be and focus on them for the next year. Let the content (geography, whatever) be the medium to develop those skills. If she's going to need research skills, then I'd have her do research projects. I'd talk with the school and find out what they expect.

[hpymomof3]

I thought that I should cover world history at a younger age (7th and 8th grade) and then she would repeat it again sophomore year. We've tried a few times to get through world history but haven't found something that really clicks. She will still be home next year for 8th and start at the high school for freshman year. We won't have to worry about anything transferring. I just want to give her a good background.

I thought that MOH would be a good match but at this point in the year there are just too many people/places to remember and it is starting to become a little meaningless. I feel that we are just going through the lessons but aren't really learning anything.

She likes geography and we have already been doing some with Runkle and mapwork but I'm wondering if there is something else that would be meatier for 8th grade.

I'm also wondering if I should so something differently with my ds who will be in 5th grade next year. He would be a the perfect point to start ancient history again but I think he would be bored with it. This year we have also done some reading in the Abeka history book. We plan to get to the Civil War this year and finish the rest next year.

[Another Lynn]

I don't really have any advice as I don't have any that old yet, but just wanted to say that the year I tried to use MOH 1, I quickly realized the need to add in other read alouds. We didn't do all the review cards, quizzes, etc. because my son was so young. I got MOH because I loved the way it integrated Biblical and secular history, but I eventually just dropped it and used Greenleaf's Guide to the O.T. to help us follow the story of the Israelites as they interracted with other ancient civilizations. I think it's hard to have a lesson on North Americans, China, India, etc. thrown in here and there when it doesn't relate to the rest of the study. Also, MOH seemed to me to be written to a Middle Schooler who doesn't really love history - there were lots of "awesomes" in the text and I wanted to choose more literary works to read aloud. JMHO.

I'm sorry I don't really have any suggestions for you - you could look at Diana Waring, Beautiful Feet (I think they have a literature based study of ancients for upper levels), or what about truthquest? Even if you don't use Diana Waring, I highly recommend her CDs (What in the World's going on here?) especially for integrating Biblical and secular history and for encouraging a love of history in your children. Find a spine and add in great read alouds and some writing assignments from time to time and I think they might enjoy it more than trying to remember so many details.

Hope you find something you like!

[OhElizabeth]

Well I was unsure, because you listed her history for 10th-12th and not 9th. What would she be doing in 9th? If it's geography, then obviously don't do a year of geography in 8th.

You know, it sounds like you're saying you want her to learn the framework of world history but not get bogged down in all the details. I would get all 5 decks of the VP history cards plus their songs, and I would learn them all in one year with her. You could do something like Alt core 6 of SL, which uses CHOW as a spine, or don't even use a core, just read CHOW. If she learned the cards, saying doing a card each day, 3-5 a week, you could get through the entire thing in a year and she'd come out seeing the entire spread of history. MOH was bogging you down with a lot of details. I'd just do a survey with a framework she can memorize. The VP cards are PERFECT for that.

[hpymomof3]

At the high school I think they have a choice of doing World History during 9th or 10th grade. I think most take it in 10th so that it gives them room to take spanish their freshman year.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will look into the cards.