Great High School History Curriculum

Background

For eight years, I homeschooled history on a classical calendar of ancients to modern in four years. After two cycles, I must admit, I was a little bored. I was also concerned that my high schoolers did not have a good grasp of American history since it was taught to them as part of a world history curriculum. Additionally, since my high schoolers are college bound, most colleges like to see a particular set of credits on a transcript such a one year of world history, one year of American history, and a year of civics and economics.

I was looking for an American history curriculum that:

  • Taught American history from a neutral tone (no identifiable political leaning, right or left)
  • Combined relevant literature to the time period
  • Relied heavily on primary sources
  • Laid out for me so that I did not have to create lessons plans or add supplementary material

When I mentioned this to another homeschooling mom, she said she knew of a curriculum that sounded like it was exactly what I was looking for, Exploring America by Ray Notgrass.

Exploring America

Website: Exploring America by Ray Notgrass

As as I looked into the curriculum, I knew it was exactly what I had been looking for. Exploring America comes in a three book set. Two of the books are weekly units and a third book is a collection of primary sources. You can also order a test booklet and an answer booklet for the weekly unit questions and tests.

The curriculum is actually a combined history, English and Bible curriculum and provides a year credit for each subject.

Each unit begins with a summary of what the unit will cover. There is a Bible verse to memorize and a list of books that you will for the unit (usually the Bible; the primary source book included with the curriculum, American Voices; and sometimes an outside novel such as The Scarlett Letter). There is also a list of writing assignments that the student can choose from, due at the end of the unit.

The are five lessons in every unit which works perfectly for a five day schedule. Each lesson has a history reading and a list of assignments to complete.  At the end of the unit, you can optionally give your student the unit history quiz. Every five units, there is an optional unit test covering history, English and Bible.

My high school students are thriving in this curriculum. They are learning, reading and writing far more then they ever have before. They do all of the reading and writing on their own. I just grade the writing assignment at the end of the units and hand out and then grade the tests. I also have a discussion time the day before the test and go over all of the unit’s questions to make sure my students completed and understood the questions.

Schedule

This is the schedule that works best for my homeschool with this curriculum:

Monday: 1st lesson of unit
Tuesday: 2nd lesson of unit
Wednesday: 3rd lesson of unit
Thursday: 4th lesson of unit
Friday: 5th lesson of unit, unit writing assignment due
Following Monday: Discuss unit questions
Following Tuesday: Give test

We do one lesson a week so the 1st day of the next unit overlaps with the discussion.

Additional Books by Ray Notgrass

In addition to Exploring America, Notgrass has a complete set of high school history/English/Bible curriculum including world history, economics and government. You can view the complete list on the Notgrass website here: http://www.notgrass.com/homeschool-curriculum-high-school.php

Home School Support Groups

A support structure is always important for parents and families. It is nice to have a safe place to share frustrations, joys and accomplishments and enjoy fellowship.  Homeschooling families greatly benefit from support groups. Homeschool support groups offer relationships and connections that are hard to find anywhere else. Members can pool resources for field trips, co-op classes, physical education, curriculum and celebrations. Friendships are established not only with the children of the group but also with the parents.

Finding the Right Group

Homeschool support groups are as diverse as churches. It is important to find a homeschool support group that best fits your family. Some groups focus on relationships. Other groups may focus on educational activities. The first thing you need to consider is what you are looking for in a homeschool support group.

Are you looking for a small, medium or large group?

Small groups are easier to get to know everyone in a relatively short time. Larger groups can have more resources at their disposal. There are positives and negatives to every size. Some groups even cap their membership at their own ideal size such as 25 or 40 families.

Do I want a group with a religious affiliation?

Some groups are affiliated with a particular church. If you attend the church, this can be a positive. The downside  is the group is often bound by church leadership approvals and insurance policies.

Other groups identify themselves with a religion without being affiliated with a particular church such as Christian, Baptist, LDS or purposely non-religious groups such as secular homeschoolers. Most groups will have written material regarding group beliefs. Be sure to view these to make sure you are comfortable with the group’s world views.

What type of homeschool activites does the group offer?

Remember, most homeschool groups are run by volunteers. The more helping hands, the better the group. Check to see what activities are offered by the group such as:

  • Group activities (park days, parties and celebrations, mom’s nights, family trips)
  • Clubs
  • Field trips
  • Co-op classes
  • Cultural events

Visiting Groups

Once you have determined what you want in a homeschool group, start visiting local groups.  Usually a group will have an email or phone contact person that will give you details about the next function you can visit. You can usually get support group information from your state organization’s support group page. Most groups that are established and open for membership will be listed.

HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) has a list of state organizations here: http://www.hslda.org/orgs/default.asp. If you go to your state organization link, you should find a list of local support groups.

A couple of ending tips:

  • Don’t just visit one time unless you are certain you have walked into the perfect group for your family. You cannot get a good feel for the dynamics of a group in one visit.
  • Don’t go simply off of your children’s first opinion. A homeschool support group is a family choice. I have seen too many families that arrive for a first park day only to have their child demand to leave within 30 minutes because they did not find a friend. It takes time to establish relationships. Prepare your child for this. If your child does not have a siblings to play with, see if you can arrange for a cousin or friend to visit with your child to ease social anxiety.

Free homeschool calendar and planner generator

I just found a free, easy homeschool planner and calendar generator.

You can quickly generate:

  • Weekly assignment sheets, including customized subjects
  • Single and multi-page calendars
  • Sequential Weeks of Numbered Days
  • Bible Reading Record

The generator is located here: http://homeschoolclassifieds.com/planner_form.asp

In addition, this generator is located on the HomeschoolClassifieds.com site. I will soon be posting about several great options available for buying used curriculum and this site will be at the top of my list. You can also sell your curriculum on this site, up to seven listings for free, with no transaction fees.

Homeschool Breaks

After a very busy school year wrap up for my family, I wanted to post about something I’ve learned is very important for homeschoolers: taking breaks.

I know there are homeschooling families that are able to take guilt free breaks, but most of the homeschooling moms I know are overachievers. They are constantly fighting the worry and guilt that they are not getting enough education time in with the children. Even though their homeschool far exceeds the depth and learning their children would be getting anywhere else, they still try to make every free moment a learning experience.

But we all need those breaks to refresh and revitalize us. I operate my homeschool pretty closely around the public and private school systems with a scheduled fall break, Christmas break, Easter break and an extended summer vacation. I live in the desert so a lot of my fellow homeschoolers use the hot summers for homeschooling and take extended breaks in early winters to enjoy the holidays and the nicer weather. When you take your breaks is up to you and your family.

I do highly recommend scheduling breaks. One year, I took quite a few breaks when we were involved in a lot of activities and we ended up way behind on our books.  Even a loose schedule gives you an idea when your school year or current curriculum will stop and start. Scheduled breaks also feel a lot better because they’ve been planned.

Also, resist the temptation to fill in other school work during a scheduled break. Don’t schedule heavy reading but encourage fun reading. Do go on a family outing but resist the temptation of requiring research reports on where you went or what you saw. Play board and card games. Just enjoy being together. As you all know, these are all still learning experiences but there is a lightness and freedom when you remove academic requirements.

So to all you homeschoolers out there (and everyone for that matter): Have a nice break!

Standardized or Achievement Testing Services for Homeschoolers

I’m going to be writing a series of posts about testing homeschoolers. This first post is a list and some basic information about mail-in testing services.

But let me comment on a couple of things first:

1. Check with your state requirements for homeschool testing.

I live in Arizona where there are absolutely no requirements for standardized or achievement testing. I do choose to test my children because:

  • I do operate my homeschool as “college prep” meaning I do anticipate that my children will go on to college.
  • Because of this, test taking skills are very important (preparing for the PSAT, SAT, and ACT).
  • I also want an idea of how they compare to other students.
  • I want to see how they preform in the different subjects to give me an idea of what I need to concentrate on in their homeschooling.
  • I want to make sure my homeschool isn’t lacking something. For example, the first time I had my older two tested, they both underperformed in map skills. This indicates I need to include more map skills in my homeschool.

Other states have very specific testing requirements for homeschoolers so you will need to check with your state requirements before looking at any of the following resources.

2. Check what testing services are offered by your local homeschool support organizations

Many tests require specific testing guidelines for proctors and sometimes group rates can be cheaper. The organization will also be sure your student is in a proper test taking setting such as having plenty of desk or table space and making sure it is quiet.

Mail-in Standardized and Achievement Tests Services Available for Homeschoolers

This tests can be administered at home by a parent without special degree requirements:

Family Learning Organization (FLO)
http://www.familylearning.org/testing.html

CAT/5 (Complete Battery)
Grades: K-12
Special requirements to administer? No
Pricing: $37
Timing: All materials must be returned within 2 weeks of receipt

Basic Achievement Skills Inventory (BASI)
Grades: 3-12
Special requirements to administer? No
Pricing: $37
Timing: All materials must be returned within 2 weeks of receipt

Thurber’s Educational Assessments
http://thurbers.net/thurbers.net/About_CAT_5.html

CAT/5 (Survey and Complete Battery)
Grades: K-12
Special requirements to administer? No
Pricing: $50
Timing: There are very specific testing weeks in the spring you order for. Check their website.

Bayside School Services
http://www.baysideschoolservices.com/

CAT/5 (Survey and Complete Battery)
Grades: K-12
Special requirements to administer? No
Pricing: $60 ($45 if ordered by Feb 1st, $50 if ordered by Apr 1st)
Timing: 1 week to return tests once they have been received, scores are returned within 8 weeks

Seton Testing Services
http://www.setontesting.com/default.php

CAT-E (older test)
Grades: K-12
Special requirements to administer? No
Pricing: $25
Timing: All materials must be returned within 2 weeks of receipt

The Sycamore Tree
http://www.mailordercentral.com/sycamoretree/products.asp?dept=177

Terra Nova (CTBS)
Grades: K-12
Special requirements to administer? No
Pricing: $50 ($100 fee if tests are not returned)
Timing: Can only be ordered Mar 1st-Apr 30th or Jun 1st-Jul 31st

There are special requirements for test administrators for the following tests:

BJU Press
http://www.bjupress.com/testing/

Stanford (http://www.bjupress.com/testing/stanford.php)
Grades: K-12
Special requirements to administer:
1.Bachelor’s degree
2.Experience or training in test administration or have viewed our Test Administrator’s Training DVD (available to order online)
3.Be listed with us as a pre-approved Stanford tester, which requires a one-time completion of an application and your agreement with the information contained in the companion brochure.
Pricing: $44/test (10% discount if ordered between Sept 1st – Nov 1st and returned by Dec 30th)

ITBS®/ITED® (IOWA) (http://www.bjupress.com/testing/iowa.php)
Grades: K-12
Special requirements to administer:
1.Bachelor’s degree
2.Completed application (on BJU site)
Pricing: $44/test (there are also addition testing services such as the CogAT you can for fees up to $80)

Pizza Hut Book-It Program for Homeschoolers

It’s always nice when companies offer the same education incentives to homeschoolers as they do for public and private schools. One of those incentives program is the Pizza Hut Book-It program. If you decide to participate, you sign up your own homeschool and the number of K-6th grade kids in your household that would like to participate in the program. Currently, the Book-It program is enrolling for the 2010-2011 school year. Enrollment deadline is June 30, 2010.

What you can except to receive from Pizza Hut is a set of coupons to distribute monthly to your elementary age students once they’ve met a personal reading goal. The coupon is good for a one-topping personal-sized pizza. There are no other ordering requirements meaning you don’t have to purchase other food in order to received the personal pizza.

More information about the Book-It program is located here: http://www.bookitprogram.com/

The 2010-2011 homeschool enrollment form: http://www.formspring.com/forms/bookitprogram-homeschool_enrollment_form1

Bayeux Tapestry Battle of Hastings video

A friend recommended this video to me and I used it today in my history class. We’re studying the Battle of Hastings, Alfred and William the Conqueror in “The Story of the World, Vol. 2: The Middle Ages” which is the series we use for world history.

This video shows a very clever reenactment from the Norman’s point of view using an animation of the Bayeux Tapestry.

My daughter loved it though mentioned the tapestry characters bleeding and a animated head being chopped off was “disturbing.”

Of course, let me give credit where credit is due. This video was created by Potiongraphics, animation and direction by David Newton, music and sound design by Marc Sylvan.

Great Homeschool Resource: Google Docs

I’m a big fan of free Google applications (programs or services). I try almost every application Google releases and a lot of them I end up using daily such as iGoogle, Gmail, Analytics (website statistics), Wave (claims to be the future of email), Google Books, Google Groups, Picasa (photo software and online storage and sharing), and Google Maps. But, this post is about how I use Google Docs in my homeschool.

Background

First things first, this resource is directed at assignments that can and should be typed. I’m a big advocate of writing assignments out in elementary school, with the exception of the occasional report or long story. But, as students grow older, I believe it is imperative they are taught computer skills. There is no way to avoid computers in our society. I personally believe that if you avoid computers in your homeschool, especially with high schoolers, it’s the equivalent of refusing to use a telephone because you think writing letters is far superior. Yes, letter writing is still needed but a telephone call takes care of a lot of things in a much more timely and personal fashion.

How I Use Google Docs in my Homeschool

Google Docs is basically a simple online word processor. It has all of the same very basic functions as Microsoft Word. The difference is that a document is stored and edited online. This is what makes Google Docs a powerful tool in my homeschool:

Google Docs are accessible on any computer or internet device

My student’s work isn’t locked on one computer. They can go to any computer in my house or any other place with an internet connection and retrieve their document. This is still safe because you have to have a login and password to access your Google Docs. No more excuses about the file being on a computer someone else is using. No more excuses about not being able to finish an assignment because your student is at Grandma’s house.

You can “share” a Google Doc

By “sharing” you send out a link to the document to specific people. You can give these people “read-only” access or you can add them as a collaborator. You can share the document with multiple people. If your student has a story they want to share with their friends and family, it’s as easy as adding those people to the share list.

Collaborator feature

The collaborator feature is where I find the most power in using Google Docs. When my student writes a report or submits an assignment, I have them share the document with me as a collaborator. Then I can go in the document and comment, highlight problems and much more. This way we have an active editing and correcting process. There are no lost papers or lost corrections.

So How Do You Get Started Using Google Docs?

First, you and your student(s) need to activate a Google Docs account. The account is completely free. If you already use another Google service such as Gmail, your user name and password will be the same. If you have never used any other Google application, you will need to sign up with your user name and password.

This is the link for Google Docs: http://docs.google.com/

Please feel free to use the comment feature on this post to ask any additional questions you may have about using Google Docs in your homeschool.

Using Magic Tree House Books in your Homeschool

If you are a parent of elementry aged students, you have probably already heard about Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House Series so you can probably skip the next section (FYI Mary Pope Osborne has some other books that are ideal for classical homeschools but I’ll save that for a later post).

If you haven’t heard about the series, let me give you a brief introduction:

The Magic Tree House series is about a brother and sister who have magic adventures based on a particular subject, usually based in history, literature or science. These adventures are historically or scientifically accurate based on Osborne’s careful research about the subject. I would estimate they’re geared around the 3rd – 5th grade reading level. I also read them aloud to younger ages or use them as a read aloud to develop reading.

But, the Magic Tree House Series resources don’t end at the book. They have developed a free website that complements the series at http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/magictreehouse/series.html.

Each book has a list of additional reading and resources and a teacher’s guide.

The site also contains  a “passport” program which encourages children to read the series with the reward of printing out a stamp for their Magic Tree House Passport Book every time they complete the book and answer a small series of questions about the book correctly.

How do I use the Magic Tree House series in my homeschool?

Because the Magic Tree House series is topic oriented, I can pick one of the books to complement the science or history subject we are covering.  For example, my 4th grader and I have just studied the Vikings in history so she is reading Magic Tree House book #15, Viking Ships at Sunrise. By combining history and literature, I reinforce the subject we have studied with literature.

Below I have created a quick reference table that relates the subject of the Magic Tree House book to general science or history:

12/29 note: The Magic Tree House Site has been updated so I am in the process of updating the links to the research and teacher’s guides.

One really cool edition to the site in an interactive flash game for readers: http://www.magictreehouse.com/#game

Animals

Subject Book # Title Research Guides Student Resources Teacher’s Guide Purchase
Dinosaurs 1 Dinosaurs Before Dark Dinosaurs Passport Page Dinosaurs Amazon
Sabertooth Tigers 7 Sunset of the Sabertooth n/a Passport Page Prehistoric Times Amazon
Dolphins 9 Dolphins at Daybreak Dolphins and Sharks Passport Page Water and Space Amazon
Lions 11 Lions at Lunchtime n/a Passport Page Natural Habitats Amazon
Polar Bears 12 Polar Bears Past Bedtime n/a Passport Page Natural Habitats Amazon
Tigers 19 Tigers at Twilight n/a Passport Page Natural Habitats Amazon
Dingoes 20 Dingoes at Dinnertime n/a Passport Page Natural Habitats Amazon
Gorillas 26 Good Morning, Gorillas n/a Passport Page Natural Habitats Amazon

Places

Subject Book # Title Research Guides Student Resources Teacher’s Guide Purchase
Amazon River 6 Afternoon on the Amazon Rain Forests Passport Page Natural Habitats Amazon
Moon 8 Midnight on the Moon Space Passport Page Water and Space Amazon
Hawaii 28 High Tide in Hawaii n/a Passport Page Exotic Lands Amazon

History

Time Period Subject Book # Title Research Guides Student Resources Teacher’s Guide Purchase
~1300BC Ancient Egypt 3 Mummies in the Morning Mummies and Pyramids Passport page Ancient Worlds Amazon
~250BC Ancient China 14 Day of the Dragon King n/a Passport Page n/a Amazon
776 BC-393AD Ancient Greece 16 Hour of the Olympics n/a Passport Page Ancient Worlds Amazon
~80BC Roman Empire 13 Vacation Under the Volcano n/a Passport Page Ancient Worlds Amazon
~1000AD Vikings 15 Viking Ships at Sunrise n/a Passport Page Warriors on the Sea and Land Amazon
Middle Ages 2 The Knight at Dawn Knights and Castles Passport page Warriors on the Sea and Land Amazon
1600-1700 AD/CE Japanese Ninjas 5 Night of the Ninjas n/a Passport page Warriors on the Sea and Land Amazon
~1600 Shakespeare 25 Stage Fright on a Summer Night n/a Passport Page World of William Shakespeare Amazon
1621 Thanksgiving 27 Thanksgiving on Thursday n/a Passport Page America’s Past Amazon
1560-1720 AD/CE Pirates 4 Pirates Past Noon Pirates Passport page Warriors on the Sea and Land Amazon
1775–1783 Revolutionary War 22 Revolutionary War on Wednesday n/a Passport Page Fighting For Freedom Amazon
1861–1865 Civil War 21 Civil War on Sunday n/a Passport Page America’s Past Amazon
~1870 The Prairie/Tornadoes 23 Twister on Tuesday Twisters Passport Page Natural Disasters Amazon
The American West 18 Buffalo Before Breakfast n/a Passport Page America’s Past Amazon
The American West 10 Ghost Town at Sundown n/a Passport Page America’s Past Amazon
1906 San Francisco Earthquake 24 Earthquake in the Early Morning n/a Passport Page Natural Disasters Amazon
1912 Titanic 17 Tonight on the Titanic Titanic Passport Page America’s Past Amazon

Great Homeschool Resource: DonnaYoung.org

One extremely valuable homeschool resource I use over and over again is Donna Young’s site appropriately called http://donnayoung.org/index.htm.

Along with her own homeschooling wisdom and advice, she has designed and uploaded all kinds of free homeschool related printables (in pdf format) . The site is very clean and well organized. Some of the subjects are curriculum specific such as the Apologia Science area that includes printable labs and schedules.

I’ve created a basic list of of Donna Young’s website content below:

1 2
  • After over ten years of homeschooling, I've learned a lot. There are things I've done right and things I would change if I could go back. I developed this site to help for new homeschoolers and any homeschoolers looking for fresh ideas and recommendations.