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Joelle
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| Posted: March 10 2014 at 9:33pm | IP Logged
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Hello,
I have an 8th grade girl that has resisted almost all history literature/history spine books, and as a result has had little exposure to really any history period. I'd like to give her an overview of world history, then have her go in-depth for American History (when she either enters 9th grade at home, or we do a 2nd 8th grade year). Any suggestions for either a spine/lit combo? Has anyone had this issue with any of their kids? I am just at a loss for how to approach her history to finish this year even. Thank you much in advance!
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Mackfam
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| Posted: March 10 2014 at 10:21pm | IP Logged
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Hi Joelle. 
I'm going to suggest something that might sound radical - but it's totally do-able! How about ditch all history spines and stick with period literature and historical fiction? I know you're concerned about perceived inadequacies in history understanding, but she's likely to completely glaze over at any attempt to overview world history, which makes it a questionable use of time.
I'd probably consider my daughter, what type of reading she enjoys, and then choose maybe 2 - 3 books MAX (and this depends on how good a reader your dd is) - to finish out the year. And since you're thinking she needs to go back to the beginning, I might start with Ancient History. (Reading Your Way Through History is a great place to start looking for excellent reading by period of history. I also really like the book recommendations at RC History - here are their Logic Level Ancient History recommendations.)
I'd probably introduce the first book and author, tell her it is REQUIRED reading, and provide a detailed outline that is keyed to a calendar or lesson plan that states: read p. x - z, then narrate. After she's read EACH AND EVERY SECTION, ask her to find you and tell you what she just read - aloud. Simple. Nothing crazy, fancy or written. But every.single.day. She cannot move forward to the next day's reading until she's narrated the current reading aloud to you.
Joelle wrote:
| I have an 8th grade girl that has resisted almost all history |
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Part of the problem may be that she hasn't engaged with great writing yet, or perhaps that she's reading *much* but lacks the *time* to engage, or even that the quality of writing could be less than stellar (as can sometimes be the case in a spine/text). Another issue might be (??) that she's asked to do much analysis/summarizing via reading comp, essays, literary analysis, historical comparison - and it snuffs out the opportunity to connect with the literature on an emotional level and form a relationship with the reading. Perhaps another part of the problem could be that she isn't in the habit of living out that "discipline" part of education - you know...that part where we all gotta do some things we really don't like. I don't know that this is the case, and I'm not trying to project, but when you used the word, "resisted", that's what made me wonder. Anyway, the approach I outlined above provides quality, encourages relationships (with the ideas in the book as well as with you as she narrates) along with a clear expectation of "this is what is required every day" - so maybe it could kill many birds with one stone?
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Jen Mackintosh
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 10 2014 at 10:26pm | IP Logged
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Jen took the words right out of my mouth (and said it better to boot)
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guitarnan
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| Posted: March 10 2014 at 11:25pm | IP Logged
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What Jen said. I would find out which period of history she wants to learn about (or country - if she "hates" history, she might be interested in, say, Egypt, or Japan, or the USA) and build a short book list from there.
If you give us an idea of her interests and reading level, I'm sure your fellow 4Real members would be happy to offer book recommendations.
For example, RC history recommends Mara, Daughter of the Nile, for ancient Egypt. I loved this book in 8th grade. Romance, court intrigue, history...what's not to like? But, the same author also wrote The Golden Goblet, which is an easier read - larger typeface, less complicated story, but still a great book (downtrodden orphan boy discovers his half brother is in league with tomb robbers). You have choices.
My suggestion would be to have a frank discussion with your daughter about your chosen approach, and ask for her suggestions (that you may or may not take into consideration, make that clear) for where to begin. If you need book recommendations, we're here to help! I'm sure you'll receive plenty of suggestions.
One more thought - if she does want to learn about a particular place and/or time, consider adding in a film after she's finished a couple of books, provided good films are available. (Film versions of books she's read are good for discussion, but you can use other films/documentaries to add to her knowledge of that time and place.)
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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ekbell
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| Posted: March 13 2014 at 9:54am | IP Logged
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Or if she's like my oldest DD who doesn't like most historical fiction (or at least resisted reading them for history), I'd suggest the middle school texts from Catholic Textbook projects All Ye Lands and From Sea to Shining Sea. As well CHC has some nice lesson plans to go with them which include a variety of activities.
I should point out that my oldest did like reading Saint biographies. This can be another approach to history.
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 13 2014 at 10:07am | IP Logged
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If you still want a spine for what you describe, you might check out this new reprint from Hillside. If you check out Level Three at Mater Amabilis, there is also a recommended reading list coordinated by term to the years covered in the main text.
Eta: The referenced work is The World's Story by Elizabeth O'Neal. It is in the public domain, and you can find e copies avaioable under the title The Story of the World online to preview or use in an e-reader if you like.
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Lindsay
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SallyT
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| Posted: March 13 2014 at 5:37pm | IP Logged
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I second Lindsay's recommendation of The World's Story, if you do want a spine. It's an excellent middle-school read that doesn't read like a textbook.
Sally
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: March 13 2014 at 8:02pm | IP Logged
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I third Lindsay's recommendation of a spine! My Ds 13 is the same was as your Dd!! We tried everything. Occasionally we would find a living book, but maybe one a year that he enjoyed and would finish. He isn't complaining about this book. Now there are some chapters that he struggles with and I read it and agree with him. Some chapter read nicely and really tell a story and sometimes the story get lost because there is a lot of change and going on and the facts get overwhelming, but overall we both like this book. I admit that we started in the Renaissance time period so we are reading the last fourth of the book and didn't start in the beginning.
Jen's recommendation are great too! They apply to my ds!! Thanks Jen!
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Cassie
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SallyT
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| Posted: March 14 2014 at 9:33am | IP Logged
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Another thought: if she's a rising 9th grader, and you want to begin a cycle through history (which I also recommend), you might opt for something like a Great Courses/Teaching Company lecture series as a spine, rather than a book, to help keep literature/primary-source-type reading in order.
We have used and loved the Foundations of Western Civilization lecture course by Dr. Thomas F.X. Noble, which covers the beginnings of civilization through the end of the Renaissance. I use it over two years, 9th and 10th. Listening and note-taking are useful college-preparatory skills, and the lectures provide an excellent overview.
My scope and sequence goes like this:
9th: Ancient and Classical
10th: Medieval/Renaissance
11th: New World/U.S.
12th: Modern and Contemporary/Current Events
This way we do cover world history plus the U.S. in a pretty in-depth way by the end of high school, and I wonder whether something like this wouldn't make more sense, ultimately, than trying to cram in a world-history year first. That's completely your decision, however.
For 9th, here's my basic reading list:
*early myths (Babylonian, Egyptian, Persian, Greek, etc)
*historical fiction for Egypt (Cat of Bubastes, Mara of the Nile)
*biblical literature (Psalms, Job, etc), pluspossibly some ancient-Israel-themed historical fiction, like Louis de Wohl's David of Jerusalem
*Iliad and Odyssey
*Greek drama (Antigone is short, so we do that)
*Greek philosophy (again, The Crito is short)
*Plutarch's Lives
*modern work based on Greek myth/narrative (Shaw's Pygmalion, C.S. Lewis's Till We Have Faces)
*Roman myths
*Aeneid
*excerpts from period Roman history (Livy)
*Julius Caesar (our Shakespeare for 9th grade)
*early-church historical fiction: Fabiola, de Wohl's The Restless Flame, Evelyn Waugh's Helena
*Augustine's Confessions
So, we're basically doing our history and our literature as one integrated course, with the literature as the substance, and the spine (I have used a book, but you could just do the lecture series) to provide some shape and context. My high-schooler would listen to a lecture a week, and/or read a chapter in the spine book, then spend the bulk of the week on literature/primary-source-type reading.
We use the same model throughout high school, though we don't always have one single spine book or lecture series. This year, when I have a 10th grader, our historical-context reading and lectures have come from different sources: the second half of the Foundations of Western Civ lectures, but also another lecture series on the Crusades, books like How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, and articles from Christian History magazine (a resource I highly recommend, though it is not an all-Catholic publication). We also watch lots of historical documentaries -- YouTube is full of good stuff, and I've catalogued a pretty decent selection for the first two years of our scope and sequence so far.
Obviously you want to find a model that's going to fit your daughter. I would say, however -- having been through one highly resistant child and with at least one more in that personality mode coming up -- that sometimes learning, especially core learning like the study of history, just has to happen, and that part of mastering it is learning to persevere with books that don't come easily. I'm not sure where the fine line is between working sympathetically with your child to support her learning, and wasting time and energy jumping from book to book because she seemingly doesn't like anything (can you tell I've been there? Believe me, I have!), but there is a line, and at some point you just have to stop there and get on with things.
She doesn't have to do history all day, and she doesn't have to love it, but she does have to read it for half an hour, or whatever. I find I have to take that line a good bit with certain of my children, because at the end of the day there are things I believe they must know or have read before they leave my house, whether they like it or not. I'd much rather they loved everything and all our days were filled with the joy of learning, and sometimes it is that way, but our daily reality is usually a little drudgier.
What helps me is to know that I have chosen books that *I* believe in -- keeping that child in mind, because I do love them, after all, but also knowing that no matter what I choose, certain children are always going to resist, so I have to just go for it, as an exercise in virtue and good habits for all of us.
Still, that's not to say that you can't customize your focus. For example, for a more mathy or science-y child, I'd definitely include reading about famous mathematicians or scientists through history. My oldest daughter loved fashion, so she did a kind of sideline on the development of clothing and fashion through history -- Dover paper dolls and coloring books are a fabulous resource, even for high-schoolers! Sometimes having an angle like that can spark a wider interest, or at least help the medicine go down a little smoother.
Just throwing more suggestions into the mix here -- these are things that have worked well for us, but of course you have to assess all suggestions in light of what you know about your child and your family's overall needs.
Godspeed you in your discernment about next year!
Sally
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4Real Forums : Across Time and Place
Topic: Weak In History--Help!
