S/O from Colleen's Q: What to do in middle school for history?

[Wendi]

I'm thinking of using either TOG or TRISMS for high school. We're finishing up VP's grammar level history this year (6th grade). I'm trying to figure out what to do for 7th and 8th grade. Has anyone used the TRISMS middle school program? Can it be spread out over two years (7th and 8th)?

Any other suggestions?

Wendi

[JennW in SoCal]

First of all, I have absolutely no experience with any of the history programs like Trisms, but instead have always cobbled together my own history program. In 7th and 8th grades those plans were very loose as I see these grades as the last chance to simply follow our interests in history and literature, as in high school there needs to be specific courses and content. So, with that mindset I've done several different things.

Last year my current middle schooler was in 7th grade, and we spent a year studying Asian mythology, cultures, and art. I added mapwork and some historical content into the mix to round it out. For the current school year he is taking a class in American history through our charter school, though I don't know yet what he will be reading or what the teacher will focus on. I'll be assigning additional reading, and we'll be watching some documentaries or teaching company series.

I'm trying to remember the details of my older son's middle school years, but I know for instance we spent some time on Victorian England and the British Empire which all started because of reading Hound of the Baskervilles and Around the World in 80 Days.

My loosey-goosey approach isn't for everyone, I know, but the middle school years can be such a headache, depending on the child, that sometimes it is in everyone's best interest to settle on something that can be enjoyed together.

[Jenny in Florida]

I refer to it as "WTM-inspired." We more or less follow the WTM-recommended history cycle and the model of using a reference as a spine and filling it out with good non-fiction and historical fiction.

So, this year, we're on the ancients. My son will be using the Parragon Atlas of World History as a spine, reading one or two pages a week. He'll also go through the appropriate stories from the computer version of A Child's History of the World (one or two sections per week) and read the following non-fiction, history-type things (30 or so pages per week):

Ancient China (Nature Company Discoveries Library)
Cool Facts About the Ancient World
Exploring the Ice Age
Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans
How to Be a Roman Soldier
How to Be an Ancient Greek Athlete
Learning Through History: Ancient China
LTH: Ancient East
LTH: Ancient Egypt
LTH: Ancient Near East
LTH: Mesoamerica (just the Maya articles)
Mysteries Through the Ages: Mysteries from the Past and Present Explained Through Recent Scientific Discoveries
The Maya: Life, Myth and Art
The Way of Alexander the Great
Walking the Bible
Way of Alexander

Alongside the non-fiction, history stuff, he'll read the following:

Aesop’s Fables
Bible Selections
Boy of the Painted Cave
Cat of Bubastes
Chi’Lin Purse
Children’s Homer
D’Aulaire’s Greek Myths
Dar and the Spear Thrower
Detectives in Togas
Eagle of the Ninth
Exploring the Ice Age
Gilgamesh the Hero
Golden Goblet
Mystery of the Roman Ransom
Place in the Sun
Tales from China
Tales from India
The Golden Goblet
Theras and his Town
Top 10 Greek Legends: Zeus on the Loose
Tusk and Stone
Twenty Jataka Tales
Well of Sacrifice


I've collected worksheets for him to do each week to review the material. And all of his samples for Classical Writing are drawn from the culture/literature he's reading about in that week. I've also got a few books of project ideas sitting around, so he'll probably do some hands-on stuff. And he'll do a timeline. Together, that will be the "output" for this year. I'm not planning on narrations or outlining, which is why I refer to our method as "WTM inspired," rather than "the WTM way."

It's pretty similar to what we did last year, except that I'm adding the timeline and worksheets and emphasizing the non-fiction a bit more. He had a great year last year, and I anticipate things will go well this year, too.

[Laura Corin]

The middle school books by Susanne Strauss Art. She has books for various civilisations; having gone through the cycle once, I am going to let Calvin specialise in particular areas/times. He says he wants to study Greece, Islam and Renaissance. We'll use Van Loon and Gombrich as chronological background material, as well as lots of supplementary texts.

Laura

[Laurel-in-CA]

We're just continuing the cycle with my 6th gr., but using History Odyssey to give me a bit of help and a bit more rigor. I always add books.

Last year my then-8th gr. did a 1-year world history survey with his sister, using The Human Odyssey (Spielvogel's high school title...NOT the same as the study guide above). I should've upped the rigor for him last year. He's feeling a bit overwhelmed at the writing reqt. this year.

[Kareni]

Another do-it-yourself(er) here as I put together a three year history cycle for 7th through 9th grades which incorporated works of non-fiction, fiction, literature, videos, and music. This was primarily due to the need to be money conscious throughout those years, and our program relied heavily on materials available through the public library. If money had been no object, I might well have chosen TRISMS.

Regards,
Kareni