10.4.10

The "Ideal Curriculum" - History

I've been putting off the ideal mathematics & ideal science plans, mainly because there is such wonderful variation in those two areas. So, instead, I'll turn towards history, which isn't so much a plan as an outline. After all, I subscribe to the idea of using a spine and then using lots of real books and primary sources to flesh out the spine text; I'm not about to start enumerating all the possible supplemental sources. Here, then, is the basic plan I intend to follow with both FB & PC. EG's will look the same from fifth grade onward.

Birth Through Age Four
• Important parts of the American mythology introduced via picture books and as seasonally appropriate (e.g., Thanksgiving, George Washington, Paul Bunyan, The Star-Spangled Banner, The Ride of Paul Revere).

Kindergarten
• Ancient history through 400 C.E., utilizing The Story of the World Volume One: Ancient Times, the corresponding activity book, and supplemental history books and biographies.

First Grade
• Medieval history, the Renaissance, and the Reformation (400-1600 C.E.), utilizing The Story of the World Volume Two: The Middle Ages, the corresponding activity book, and supplemental history books and biographies.

Second Grade
• Early modern history (1600-1850 C.E.), utilizing The Story of the World Volume Three: Early Modern Times, the corresponding activity book, and supplemental history books and biographies.

Third Grade
• A one year concentration on United States History, using DK's Children's Encyclopedia of American History as a spine text.

Fourth Grade
• Modern history (1850 C.E. through the present), utilizing The Story of the World Volume Four: The Modern Age, the corresponding activity book, and supplemental history books and biographies.

Fifth Grade
• Year one of a three-year cycle, covering ancient times through approximately 1000 C.E., using History: The Definitive Visual Guide as a spine text.

Sixth Grade
• Year two of a three-year cycle, covering the remainder of the middle ages through approximately 1700 C.E., using History: The Definitive Visual Guide as a spine text.

Seventh Grade
• Year three of a three-year cycle, covering from approximately 1700 C.E. through to the present, using History: The Definitive Visual Guide as a spine text.

Eighth Grade
• One year of United States history, using Joy Hakim's Story of US series, Zinn's A People's History of the United States, Out of the Past, and other primary sources.

Ninth Grade
• Back to the four-year cycle, beginning again with ancients via History of the Ancient World.

Tenth Grade
• Medieval times are next, using History of the Medieval World.

Eleventh Grade
• Early modern era, using whatever SWB titles the third book. :)

Twelfth Grade
• Back around towards the present, again using SWB, this time the as yet unwritten and untitled fourth book.

That's the gist of it. As I said above, all of this would be supplemented with history books, biographies, primary sources, and so forth.

2 comments:

Daisy said...

Do you have sources picked out for covering government/economics? In our state one full year of government and economics is required in High School (colleges require it also). I have no clue what we'll use for that and how it will fit into our High School line-up.

Kash said...

Well, we're lucky enough not to *have* to pursue it, but I have in mind to use the WTM recommendations for government, just at the appropriate points in history, yk?

In terms of economics, I have a great plan to get the Teaching Co course when it's on sale some time, and have the kids watch it through at some point during high school. It's hard for me to find economics suggestions for homeschoolers that, ah, agree with my perspective. ;)

This website was designed by Sam Rushing

"A little rebellion every now and then is a good thing." - Thomas Jefferson